


Wayhaught: Choose Your Own Story

by Orange17



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Choose Your Own Adventure, Endgame Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, F/F, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-26 06:11:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 38,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13851741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orange17/pseuds/Orange17
Summary: Starting with Nicole and Waverly’s first meeting, you wonderful readers will pick what happens next.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea one night while I wasn’t able to sleep (because that’s when the best fan-fic ideas come to us all, right?)…and I used to love books where you decided what happened next as a kid. 
> 
> So here’s how this will go: 
> 
> The first post will be a summarized Wayhaught scene from the show—in the case below, Nicole and Waverly’s first meeting—and the end will give you, the readers, two or more options as to what the character should do next. 
> 
> Comment which you would do or would prefer to see next; I’ll give a “deadline” within a couple days of the post to get your comments in by. 
> 
> After the deadline, I’ll write up the next chapter, leaving you with another set of options and we continue until the story reaches the end of its arch or you guys lose interest in it. 
> 
> _If _there’s enough interest in this one, we can start all over with another scene after that.__
> 
> This obviously probably won’t stick to canon, because…we’ve already seen that right? But some elements/storylines may make their way as it fits/is relevant.  
>    
> Are you ready? (I don’t think I am)

“I didn’t know Shorty’s had wet t-shirt competitions.”

If anyone had told Waverly, that that line would bring a smirk to her lips, even while she was drenched in cheap beer, she wouldn’t have believed them. She assumed her reaction would be to cringe, groan, kick that customer out of Shorty’s, or maybe just cut them off if she was feeling generous.

But here she was, no more than 5 minutes after those words were uttered from the newest deputy’s mouth, smirk still playing on her lips, as she ran her thumb over the name on the worn business card.

Was it weird that she liked the way ‘Officer Haught’ rolled off her tongue? Or was it odder that she had repeated it aloud three times, for all of the empty bar to hear?

Each time, the bartender’s mind filled with the image of the deputy, smiling over her shoulder with dimples on full display as she placed her Stetson on her red locks before leaving the saloon.

With a sigh, Waverly placed the business card in the back pocket of her jean shorts and shrugged into her Shorty’s shirt.

\--

Though Officer Haught’s business card stayed out of sight, in her pocket, until her mid-afternoon break, it certainly wasn’t out of mind.

The small piece of weighted paper burned through her pocket, not unlike the warm feeling of Nicole’s fingers as they brushed against her skin as the officer helped her out of her stuck shirt.

Goosebumps erupted across her skin each time her mind had wandered to that memory, just as they had the first time. A small blush crept into her cheeks as she recalled the contact again, hoping the new deputy hadn’t noticed.

Outside, leaning against the building, Waverly pulled the business card from her pocket, running a finger across the name again.

“Officer Nicole Haught,” she breathed, the first time vocalizing the redhead’s first name aloud.

The bartender remained captivated by the name and adding her first name only inflated the allure.

Eyes slipping closed, she shook her head, attempting to clear the redhead from her mind. Slowly counting, she only made it to 23 until the void in front of her eyes filled with Nicole. The uniformed officer standing within her space, shyly looking down before soft, brown eyes rose, honed in on her and only her, as if the rest of the world faded away and she was _all_ that mattered. The reel in her mind continued until a small, adorable smile played on the deputy’s lips.

Waverly snapped her eyes opened. _Adorable?_

Shaking her head again, she couldn’t help but wonder why she was so enthralled by the newest member of Purgatory’s finest?

Her gaze fell back to the business card, still clasped between her fingers. As her eyes lingered on the taller woman’s name once again, Nicole’s voice echoed in her mind again: “When I see something I like, I don’t want to wait.”

Waverly’s cheeks flushed again as she recalled the attention. She bit the side of her lip as another thought crossed her mind: she definitely liked Nicole, if the time her mind spent on the officer was any indication, and she really didn’t want to wait to see her again.

_But what did that mean?_

Worrying her lip, her mind wandered through options of what to do next:

  1. Text Nicole that afternoon
  2. Take coffee to the station the next day for—ahem— _all_ the officers, and not one in particular
  3. Follow the “three-days-rule” and wait three days before asking Nicole to coffee
  4. Chicken out of all of the above



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, March 7~~. I'm aiming to post the next installment by Friday the 9th.
> 
> Update: Option 1 it is. Stay tuned :)


	2. Chapter 2

Eyes peeled and radar gun ready, Nicole’s mind was anything but focused. Instead, it replayed her, brief, trip into Shorty’s this morning, on a loop. She sighed, as her mind’s eye fixated on the beautiful brunette smiling at her.

Upon her return to the station, the officer had spent a few, highly unproductive hours, on paperwork. But she had been in her cruiser for the last thirty minutes, set up in a speed trap on the edge of town. 

A buzz to the redhead’s right brought her to the present. She fumbled for her phone, as she absentmindedly pulled it from her the cupholder of her cruiser, vision still taking in the road in front of her.

It was only once she mindlessly clicked to light the display that she shifted her gaze to the screen.

Unknown [3:17 p.m.]: Hey i

Brow furrowed, Nicole unlocked her phone and opened the message. Recognizing the local area code, she held the device in her palm, awaiting another message.

She watched as the clock ticked over one minute, then another.

Impatient, she tapped out a response.

Nicole [3:19 p.m.]: Hello, who’s this?

After waiting a full minute for an answer, the officer placed her phone back into the cupholder sighing again to herself.

Nearly a half hour later, Nicole was pulled from her thoughts again by a quick succession of buzzes. 

Unknown [3:41 p.m.]: Sorry!! It’s Waverly!

Unknown [3:41 p.m.]: From Shorty’s!

Unknown [3:41 p.m.]: My aunt called me back from my break before I could finish typing.

Unknown [3:41 p.m.]: I thought you should have my number since you gave me yours.

Nicole chuckled to herself, unsure how the other woman could believe that she wouldn’t remember her from this morning. 

Pep and excitement were apparent even through Waverly’s digital words; replacing the brunette’s friendly but restrained aura this morning. As she clicked to add the shorter woman to her contacts, her phone vibrated again..

Miss Earp [3:42 p.m.]: It was nice to meet you this morning!

The redhead hastily clicked out a response.

Nicole [3:42 p.m.]: The pleasure was all mine Miss Earp.

Emboldened by the other woman’s quick reply and enthusiasm, Nicole typed out an additional message.

Nicole [3:43 p.m.]: So just how far in advance do I need to ask you to get that coffee with me? I’m trying to plan and, if you’re as much of a planner as you say, I don’t know if 2 or 3 days will cut it.

Miss Earp [3:43 p.m.]: Hmm two weeks?

The redhead felt disappointment creeping in.

Miss Earp [3:44 p.m.]: :D :D :D

Miss Earp [3:44 p.m.]: Have to get back to work but I’m here until 6pm tomorrow. If you’re free after, I can pencil you in! :)

Nicole [3:45 p.m.]: Pencil?!

Nicole [3:45 p.m.]: Tomorrow’s great! I work until 4:30, so anytime after your shift.

\--

It wasn't until the officer was home, lounging on her couch, that her phone pinged again; this time with a picture from Waverly. 

Nicole unlocked her phone to reveal an image of a day calendar, with an hour-by-hour breakdown. Underneath tomorrow’s date, the redhead read, “coffee w/ Officer Haught!” handwritten in thick black ink next to 6pm. An uncapped permanent marker included in the edge of the shot.

Miss Earp [7:22 p.m.]: Permanent-markered-in! Meet me at Shorty’s at 6!

The officer beamed as she typed out her response.

Nicole [7:22 p.m.]: I guess there’s no backing out now ;)

Nicole [7:23 p.m.]: But, seriously, call me Nicole. It’s an honor to make it onto your calendar, Miss Earp, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Miss Earp [7:24 p.m.]: Only if you call me Waverly :)

Miss Earp [7:24 p.m.]: Gotta live up to my “Nicest Person in Purgatory” title…especially for Purgatory’s finest :)

Miss Earp [7:24 p.m.]: Have a good night Nicole!

Nicole [7:25 p.m.]: You too Waverly :)

\--

The front door of the station closed with a slam, startling Nicole. Cursing at the line of ink that spread across her nearly completed report, the redhead glanced in the direction of the front desk.

“But come _on_ babe, we need a bartender for our party.”

A boisterous voice reached the officer’s ears before a blonde young man rounded the corner into view, phone to his ear. The redhead rolled her eyes at his whiny tone.

“Playing video games and having a big-ass bonfire is _definitely_ a party.”

Nicole quickly returned her gaze to the report on her desk, trying to block out the one-side of the conversation that she could hear.

“But it won’t be fun without you babe! And everyone else’s girlfriends will be there.”

…

“Okay fine, but you _owe_ me.”

In spite of herself, her eyes glanced up at the man-child in front of her, watching the smirk grow on his face. The redhead bit her lip to hold back a retort about manipulation. 

But Nicole would have willingly chopped off her left arm in exchange for blocking out the next words that tumbled from his mouth.

“You might need my rodeo helmet for what I have it mind…it’s going to get _rough_.”

Bile rose in her throat and her stomach twisted in sympathy for the poor girl was on the other end of this call; if only she knew that this asshole was shouting their conversation for all the police station to hear.

“Okay babe. I’ll see you when I’m done and we’ll celebrate!”

An impatient rap of knuckles on the counter pulled Nicole's gaze up. Her eyes made a brief scan of the bullpen, desperately hoping someone, anyone else, was here to assist the man-child. Seeing no one, she sighed as she rose and strode to the counter to him.

“How can I help you?” the redhead asked, forcing professionalism into her tone.

Phone still in his hand, and his full attention fixated on the glowing device, he chirped, “Nedley here?”

Restraining an eye roll with all her strength, Nicole could practically feel a blood vessel pop.

“The sheriff is in, but I assure you I can help you with whatever you need.”

“I’m here for the cop exam.”

Nicole shuttered at the notion of working alongside this man-child. A door behind her creaked open, and she turned to see the sheriff striding toward them.

“You ready this time, Champ?” Nedley inquired.

A small smile slipped onto the redhead’s face at the unconvinced tone in the older man’s voice.

“Of course!” the man-child named Champ asserted, eyes still on his phone.

\--

Nicole took a deep, steadying breath.

_It’s just coffee_ , she thought, _and she’s straight. She’s STRAIGHT. And with a boy-man…_

_…hopefully not for long,_ a wry part of her brain added.

Shaking her head, the redhead inhaled deeply again and pulled the heavy doors open as she breathed out.

It was exactly 5:54 pm. A respectable amount of time early but not too soon to come off as over eager.

The officer had hurried home after her shift for a quick shower before meeting Waverly. She may have gone to a needless level of effort to appear casual for this coffee date—ahem, coffee meeting amongst new acquaintances that will only ever be friends—making a point to dress plainly in a navy button-up, light, casual, jeans with Vans and her hair pulled back.

The officer scanned the bar as she approached, immediately finding Waverly. The younger woman stood behind the counter, near the taps, eyes narrowed as she spoke to the customer in front of her.

The redhead took a steadying breath as she approached, her gaze shifting to take in familiar individual, wobbly perched on a barstool. Her eyes narrowed as her brain tried to place the man in front of the bartender.

“C’mon babe, we’re going to keep celebratin’ at Pete’s! It’s a _paaarty_!”

In spite of the slur to his speech, Nicole immediately identified the voice from earlier today.

“ _I told you_ , Champ, I already have plans with a friend. But I’ll see you tonight,” Waverly replied, frustration apparent from her furrowed brow.

Eyes bulging and bitter acid catching in her throat, Nicole registered that the shorter wowan was on the other end of the call earlier.

The man-child, _or boy-man_ , her brain slyly added, slid off his stool with a muttered “whatever” before walking past Nicole and out the door.

Nicole watched as the brunette’s eyes trailed after Champ, locking on her own as he slipped past. Her heart swelled at the frustration slipping off Waverly’s face, replaced by a growing smile.

“Officer Haught!” the shorter woman greeted, beckoning her closer.

Swallowing the acid that pooled in her mouth, the redhead allowed a smile to stretch across her face.

“I thought I told you to call me Nicole,” the older woman drawled, smile still planted on her face.

“My apologies, _Nicole_ ,” the bartender smirked.

The redhead felt a warmth creep up her cheeks at the way her own name sounded rolling off Waverly’s tongue.

\--

Within 15 minutes, Waverly and Nicole slid into a secluded booth at the local coffee shop: the brunette with a steaming cup of tea in hand and the redhead with a cappuccino.

Eyebrow quirked, as Waverly pulled a glittery notebook from her overstuffed bag, the officer questioned, “Is that the infamous planner?”

“Of course,” the younger woman smirked.

Nicole blew gently on her scalding beverage to cool it, but her eyes were drawn to small patches of pink that blossomed across the brunette’s face.

“I was hoping we could _plan_ next time too…”

\--

“Nicole?”

A warm hand covered her own, pulling Nicole from her thoughts.

She used her free hand to take a brief sip of her, now cold, cappuccino, hoping Waverly didn’t notice the nervous shake of her fingers.

The redhead hadn’t been able to shake her nerves all night. And, somehow, the beautiful woman in front of her hadn’t been the source of her anxiety.

For the past hour and a half, as they nursed their caffeinated beverages, the younger woman had enchanted the officer, with stories of her aunt and uncle, language prowess, and generally boundless fascination.

But in spite of the outward façade of the woman in front of her, Nicole could not help but feel she overstepped, forcing the bartender into a situation that, as her mind’s eye couldn’t stop reminding her, Waverly would pay for later on…with certain…acts…with her boyfriend.

“Hmm?” was all the officer could manage, guilt bubbling in her stomach, as she tried, and failed, to keep her gaze on the hazel eyes across from her.

Almost as if it was acting of its own accord, her vision fluttered to their connected hands.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, um, yes,” Nicole replied, vision fixated on their hands.

Using her free hand to rub her forehead, the redhead forced her eyes to meet Waverly’s.

“I just have a small headache,” the officer added.

It wasn’t _really_ a lie, Nicole thought, assuming the mental images of Waverly and Champ together were enough to cause pressure in anyone’s head. 

“I’m sorry,” Waverly replied, tone sympathetic.

The brunette’s thumb brushed back and forth across the fleshy area between her thumb and pointer finger, as the shorter woman added, “Anything I can do?”

Nicole only shook her head no, not trusting her mind to find coherent words while it was consumed by Waverly’s soothing touch on her skin.

_It was wrong_ , the redhead vaguely thought as her eyes slipped closed to fully soak in the touch, _to have someone’s touch be so intoxicating_ …

... _Especially when that someone already has someone else._

Eyes snapping open at that sardonic thought, Nicole felt a chill radiate from her chest to her extremities, biting into her fingers and toes.

The redhead shifted her thumb, stilling the smaller woman’s movements. A half-hearted smile tugged at her lips as she opened her mouth to speak.

An insistent buzzing from Waverly’s phone cut her off.

Waverly’s hand slid off her own to pick up the device. The chill that had circulated through the officer was nothing compared to the frosty sensation that lingered on her hand after the loss of contact.

An impatient huff escaped from the brunette’s lips as she saw the incoming call.

“Sorry,” the shorter woman sighed before pressing to answer the call. “Hi Champ.”

Nicole took another sip of her drink. 

“ _No,_ I’m not leaving to go to Pete’s,” Waverly fumed, teeth gritted.

The officer turned slightly in her seat, attempting to give the younger woman a little privacy. But, it was a fruitless struggle to block out the side of the conversation that she could hear, short of covering her ears and humming to herself.

“I’m allowed to have friends, Champ,” the brunette added.

A sharp pang from Nicole’s chest reverberated through her upper body at Waverly’s apprehensive tone, as if the shorter woman didn’t believe her own words.

“Okay, whatever, I’ll see you at home tonight.”

Sensing a note of finality in that last statement, the redhead turned back to face the Earp.

Nicole deflated as she took in the defeated look on Waverly’s face and her slumped shoulders. But when her eyes met hazel eyes, the wind was knocked from her lungs.

The light, happiness, curiosity, gentleness, and boundless energy she had, in the brief time spent with this captivating woman, become accustomed to seeing in Waverly’s eyes had disappeared. Instead, her eyes were filled with a hollow, dejected exhaustion.

Still unable to take a breath, she was sure her lungs had shriveled. Forcing a deep inhale, her lungs burned as they finally filled, as if they atrophied in the absence of oxygen.

The sting seemed to focus her mind, as it reeled. She was the cause of that deadened look in Waverly’s eyes. _She_ was here with Waverly. _She_ was the one keeping the younger woman from her boyfriend. _She_ was the reason Waverly owed that unfortunate boy-man sexual favors.

The brunette shook her head and broke the silence, “Um, what we were talking about?”

“Um, I’m actually not sure…” Nicole trailed off, mind hazy as it resumed its loop of images of Champ and Waverly.

Bitter acid surged in her throat again, and she automatically rose to her feet, rubbing the back of her neck.

“…but, um, I should go.”

Nicole didn’t miss the crestfallen expression that filled the brunette’s features.

“Oh, um, are you not having fun?” Waverly asked, biting her lip.

“Waverly, this is the _best_ night I’ve had since movin’ to Purgatory,” Nicole reassured, hoping the younger woman would catch the sincerity infused in her tone. “But I’ve stolen enough of your time for tonight. I should let you get back to your boyfriend.”

The silence that followed seemed to pound in the redhead’s ears.

“He seems to, um, _really_ want to spend time with you,” the officer added, feeling the need to explain herself.

“Oh, um, okay.”

Waverly stood too and repeated, “Okay.”

The redhead felt her heart melt at the shorter woman’s flustered nature.

“We should do this a—again sometime.”

The officer’s knees buckled at the quaver in the brunette’s voice. She wanted nothing more than to assuage the uncertainty and trepidation that practically oozed from Waverly, as the other woman seemed to fold into herself.

As she opened her mouth, an image of Champ, cashing in the ‘favor’ Waverly owed him, flashed across her mind’s eye.

“Um, yes…sure.”

Before Nicole’s disturbed and dazed mind could comprehend the words that spilled from her mouth, the smaller woman pushed past her to the exit, without a word.

It took the chime of the bell above the door for her uncertain, apathetic tone, from a few moments ago, to permeate into her muddled consciousness.

Kicking herself, and literally kicking the side of the booth, the officer swore under her breath. She drained the last of her cappuccino and tossed her cup, and Waverly’s, into a nearby bin. Nicole took a full step away from the table before a glimmer caught her eye.

Turning back, the redhead sighed, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips, as she plucked the smaller woman’s planner from the surface.

Holding the thick pad in both hands, as though it was a priceless heirloom, Nicole debated how to return it to Waverly.

  1. Run after Waverly, attempting to catch her before she drives off.
  2. Text Waverly first thing the next morning.
  3. Take it to Shorty’s tomorrow evening, after her shift.
  4. Rifle through the planner to find a time, within the next few days, to return it.



 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was stunned by your responses to the first chapter and interest in this! I truthfully have no idea where this will go, but hopefully it'll be a fun ride :) 
> 
> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, March 14.~~ The most popular option will hopefully be posted on Friday the 16th.
> 
> Update: Option 1 wins again!


	3. Chapter 3

Waverly shouldered through the door to the coffee shop, the attached bell rattling sharply in her haste. Her hair billowed around her, mirroring the disappointment that swirled inside, as she automatically hurried toward Shorty’s.

Her and Champ’s apartment above the saloon was the last place she wanted to be in that moment, but what other choice did she have?  

It was only once she reached the bar’s heavy double doors that an alternative struck her. The brunette turned, her feet moving toward her Jeep as she dug her phone out of her crammed bag. Finally finding the device as she reached her destination, she paused to call her sister, letting it ring as she climbed into the vehicle and tossed her bag into the passenger seat.

“Hey baby girl!”

“Hey…can I stay at the homestead tonight?” Waverly asked, turning the key in the ignition.

“Of course,” Wynonna replied immediately. “Wait, is something wrong? What did Champ do? I swear to God, I’ll—”

“Nothing!” the brunette interjected, impatiently. “I just don’t want to deal with him tonight and…”

Waverly trailed off, trying to succinctly sum up the swirl of emotions that had emerged in the past few hours…or really since yesterday…

“And I’m just out of sorts,” she finally added.

“Girl’s night? I’ve got a new bottle of whiskey!”

Waverly sighed, “Don’t you always? Alright, I’m leaving now, I’ll see you soon.”

“Love ya, baby girl.”

“Love you too.”

The brunette hung up, tossed her phone back into her bag, and peeled out of her parking spot. Pushing down the gas pedal, she sped around the corner, back to Main Street.

In the fading sun, a flash of red caught her eye, and she squinted to see Nicole, jogging down the sidewalk in the direction of Shorty’s.

“That’s odd,” Waverly murmured to herself, lifting her foot off the gas.

The Jeep slowed slightly, as the brunette leaned forward, gaze shifting trying to figure out what the officer had tucked between her right arm and body.

As Waverly twisted to get a better look, the redhead skidded to a stop. Wide brown eyes filled with dismay followed the Jeep’s movement down the road. 

The brunette turned too, swiveling in her seat, eyes on the officer until she was looking out the rear window. Shifting, Waverly quickly scanned the road before sliding her vision to the rearview mirror to watch Nicole fade from view.

\--

As she drove, Waverly’s mind repeatedly drifted back to Officer Haught. The brunette couldn’t quite put her finger on the intoxicating juxtaposition of comfort and jitters she felt in the taller woman’s presence.

Waverly wondered if she would always feel this way around Nicole; something deep inside her responded with a resounding yes.

Unsure where that came from or what it meant, the brunette shook her head, willing her eyes to focus on the road ahead.

But it was futile. A frustrated huff escaped her lips as her mind shifted to Champ.

Nicole’s voice echoed in her ears: _He seems to, um, really want to spend time with you._

Knuckles turning white on the steering wheel, Waverly’s foot automatically pushed the gas pedal lower, taking her frustration with her boyfriend out on the road.

More like really wants me to cater to his every whim, she thought.

Shaking her head again, she countered the frustrated thought with a more reasonable one: He’s not _that_ bad...even if he’s _never_ made her feel as cared for or respected as she’s felt in Nicole’s presence…and he’s _never_ been half as intrigued or interested in what she’s had to say as Nicole was tonight…

Wait, why was she comparing them? Nicole’s a…friend? A…friend that seemed…distracted?

The bartender sighed, unable to find a word to adequately describe the way the officer’s attention diverted for a few brief, but noticeable, moments throughout the night. Waverly rationalized: Maybe it was because she had a headache.

But that thought was chased by a gloomier explanation: Maybe Nicole didn’t want to be there.

Waverly’s stomach twisted at the notion. Of course, the beautiful officer wouldn’t want to spend time with her.

Because she’s an _Earp_ and even a new-comer to Purgatory would, undoubtedly, have heard the stories about her family and her sister.

The homestead finally came into view, framed in the Jeep’s headlights. Coming to a stop next to Wynonna’s truck, Waverly threw her Wrangler in park. Grabbing her bag, she fished out her phone again, this time to send a quick text to Champ: _Staying with Wynonna tonight_.

Hopping out of the Jeep, the creak of hinges reached Waverly’s ears. Feet on the dirt driveway, she turned to see Wynonna, waiting in the open doorway. 

Hurrying to close the distance between them, the younger Earp met her sister at the entrance. Leather-clad arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

“Hey baby girl.”  

“Hey sis.”

Wynonna leaned back, but Waverly was held, an arm’s length away, as narrowed blue eyes scanned her face.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Wynonna inquired.

Waverly could only nod slowly in response.

“C’mon let’s untangle those thoughts,” Wynonna stated, pulling her inside. “I’ve found things are simpler through the lens of an empty whiskey glass.”

\--

Once inside, with each sister comfortably situated on the couch and with a warmth settled in her stomach from two long pulls from the now open bottle, Waverly broke the silence.

“Should I break up with Champ?”

The question had lingered on the peripheral of her mind since she caught her boyfriend in bed with Wynonna, but it had taken Nicole’s observation this evening to bring the query into sharp focus.

“Duh,” Wynonna responded easily, incredulity filled the features of her face. “I don’t know how you’ve put up with that rodeo clown for so long.”

Her sister lifted the bottle, only to bring it back down before any of the dark amber liquid made it to her lips.

“Seriously, baby girl, you deserve someone who treats you better… _anyone_ deserves better than Chump…and you deserve the world.”

As her sister raised the bottle again, Waverly swiped it from her grasp, lifted it to her own lips, and took a long swig.

The liquid burned in her throat, chasing away a thought that, ironically, only the whiskey could have put in her consciousness: that she deserved Nicole.

“Hey!” Wynonna scoffed, reaching for the bottle.

Waverly twisted, pulling the bottle closer to her body as she replied softly, “I think you’re right.

Her older sister’s eyebrows flew up at those few words.

“Ohh can I tell him? Please! I want nothing more than to dump Chump!” Wynonna exclaimed, tone giddy.

Rolling her eyes, Waverly reluctantly passed the bottle back, “No, I need to do it…but does the offer to stay here still stand?”

“Of course,” Wynonna asserted, sitting the bottle on the coffee table, pulling Waverly into another hug. “This will _always_ be your home too.”

The younger sister pulled back a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips, “Sooo, you willing to help me move?”

Wynonna plucked the bottle off the table and took a long pull before she whined, “I think I hurt my back and—”

“I could always just stay with Champ,” Waverly interjected sarcastically.

“Y’know,” Wynonna started, pausing to take another gulp of whiskey, “I think I’m feeling better.”

Waverly laughed, stealing the bottle from her sister.

“So, how soon do you require the assistance of my hot body?” her sister asked. “Maybe I can rope Dolls into helping too.”

Returning the bottle to the table, Waverly reached for her bag and dug for her planner. Her brow furrowed as she felt for the thick notebook.

Frustrated, she dumped the contents on the floor and knelt down fanning out the items.

“Nooo,” Waverly breathed, leaning back on her knees and clapping a hand to her forehead.

“What’s wrong baby girl?”

“I left my planner at the coffee shop…with Nicole.”

“Who’s Nicole?” her sister questioned.

“A new sheriff’s deputy,” Waverly eagerly answered, quickly adding a shrug, hoping the gesture would compensate for the, um, less than indifferent tone.

Within the pile, her phone buzzed. The younger Earp plucked it from the mess to see a new text.

Nicole [8:42 p.m.]: Hey, I’m sorry for how things ended tonight. You left your planner behind. I have it and I can bring it by Shorty’s after my shift tomorrow.

Waverly tossed the device back into the jumbled mess.

Running a hand through her hair, she turned back to her sister, “Do you work tomorrow?”

“Yah.”

“Can you pick up my planner from Nicole?”

“Yeah, definitely. You don’t want to see her again?” her sister asked, shrewdly.

Sighing, Waverly started to tuck her items back into her bag, “I don’t know…but I’m kinda tired. I think I’m going to head to bed.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…it’s been a long day and I have to work tomorrow.”

Scrambling to her feet, Waverly slung the bag over her shoulder and pulled her sister in for one more hug.

“Thanks for everything Wynonna.”

“Anytime, baby girl.”

\--

Waverly laid in her childhood bed, phone in hand, as she contemplated how to respond to Nicole’s message.

The redhead’s words echoed in her ears: _This is the **best** night I’ve had since movin’ to Purgatory_.

The brunette couldn’t shake how genuine those words had sounded as they fell from the deputy’s mouth.

With a sigh, Waverly reread Nicole’s text, and her mind wandered back to how their night ended; the way the taller woman floundered when the bartender admitted she wanted to hang out again.

The brunette’s stomach clenched as the horror that played across Nicole’s features flashed through her mind and the redhead’s uninterested stammering rung in her ears. 

_Um, yes…sure._

A melancholy feeling engulfed the brunette.

If Nicole didn’t want to see her again, then she wouldn’t force the officer to be in her company.

She hastily tapped out a reply, turned off her phone, and, in spite of the early hour, rolled on her side, closing her tired eyes.  

Waverly [9:27 p.m.]: Thank you, Nicole. My sister works at the station, can you give it to her tomorrow?

\--

A fitful night of sleep, drawn-out break-up conversation, and evening shift at Shorty’s later, Waverly returned to the homestead.

“Hey baby girl,” Wynonna called out as the younger sister crossed the threshold.

“Hey Wynonna, did you get my planner?” Waverly asked, dropping a duffel bag of clothes just inside the door.

“Yep, it’s over on the kitchen table. Why didn’t you tell me her last name is ‘Haught?’” her sister inquired from her position, lounging on the couch with her feet propped on an armrest and phone in hand.

“It didn’t come to mind,” Waverly replied distractedly as she strode to the table.

“How’d the break up with Chump go?”

“Ugh,” the younger Earp groaned, “About as well as telling a small child it’s their bedtime. How soon can you help me move my stuff out?”

Waverly thumbed through her planner as her sister answered. The younger Earp’s attention quickly faded from Wynonna’s voice, as her gaze caught a large, pale blue Post-it note that blocked the current day with a folded $5 bill taped to it. Brow furrowed at the unfamiliar scrawl, she read:

_-Waverly,_

_I’m so sorry for how last evening ended. I meant it when I said it was the best night I’ve had since moving to town. We didn’t get a chance to plan our next coffee rendezvous, but I couldn’t help noticing you’re free on Sunday. I’ll be at the coffee shop at 1pm, if you want to join me. But if you don’t, treat yourself to a drink on me. _

_-Nicole_

“Earth to Waverly!”

Wynonna’s impatient voice pulled her back to the present.

“Huh?”

“I said you don’t work on Friday, right? Dolls gave me the afternoon off, so I can help you then. It’ll give you the morning to pack.”

“Oh, yeah, that works,” Waverly replied quickly, eyes still taking in the officer’s tiny, slightly messy handwriting.

Without conscious direction, the younger Earp’s feet carried her toward the stairs, so she could better examine the redhead’s note in privacy.

“Hey! Waves!”

Pausing, she turned to call back, “What?”

“You should ask Haughty-with-a-body to help. She looked like she could do some heavy lifting.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and traipsed up the stairs to her bedroom.

\--

Lying, stomach down, on her bed with her planner open in front of her, Waverly wasn’t sure what to make of Nicole’s offer. Did the officer feel guilty about how things ended last night and wanted to make up for it? Did the redhead genuinely want to see her again?

And then there was the hope that swelled in her chest at that last notion…what did that mean?

Pushing that question aside, for now, the brunette couldn’t help but feel that Sunday was too long to wait to see the officer and too soon all at once.  

Waverly mulled over what to do next:

  1. Text Nicole that she’ll meet her on Sunday
  2. Take Nicole coffee during her shift the next day (Thursday) and ask her to help with the move
  3. Chicken out of #2 and show up on Sunday at 1pm



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, March 21.~~ The most popular option will be posted after that.
> 
> Update: Option 2 it is!


	4. Chapter 4

“Waverly, what are you doing here?”

Nicole’s attention was pulled from a half-finished report by the brunette, striding into the bullpen with a drink in each hand.

The redhead’s mind couldn’t help but flash back to 24-hours ago, when another Earp had waltzed into the same room to pick up her sister’s planner.

Her stomach churned as she recalled a cryptic line from her brief conversation with Wynonna: _I don’t know what you did but, whatever it was, keep it up Haught-stuff._

“Caffeinating Purgatory’s finest,” the smaller woman beamed, pulling Nicole’s attention back to the present.

“You brought me coffee?” Nicole asked, surprised by the gesture, especially considering she hadn’t heard from Waverly since the night the brunette rushed out of the coffee shop. 

“Well, it’s sort of both a thank you and a bribe all-in-one.”

The redhead tilted her head to the side as she accepted the offered drink, “I’m confused by both. Start with the thank you.”

A small, bashful smile spread across the brunette’s face; Nicole felt a smile stretch across her own face when the Earp tried, and failed, to hide her grin with a sip from her cup.

“Thank you for taking my planner the other night…I shouldn’t have left like I did, and I would’ve understood if you had left it behind.”

“But then, how would we plan another coffee adventure?” the officer mocked, her smile growing. “I couldn’t risk it.”

Pink crept into the brunette’s cheeks.

“But seriously, you don’t need to thank me for that at all. If anything, I owe you an apology.”

The brunette waved her off, “No, I know you weren’t feeling well. It’s all okay, I promise.”

The officer forced a guilty grin as she inquired, “So, the bribery?”

“Right. Well I’m moving tomorrow, I wanted to see if you could give Wynonna and me a hand?”

“You know it’s illegal to bribe an officer of the law, right?”

Waverly laughed, “That’s okay, if I go to jail it just means Wynonna’s stuck moving my stuff herself.”

“I would hate to put that burden on her, so I guess I can let it slide just this once,” the redhead winked. She took a sip of her coffee before adding, “I work until 3 tomorrow, but I’d be happy to help after that.”

“Ah! Thank you, so much Nicole!”

\--

“Man, you must be desperate to move if you’re fightin’ through a Friday afternoon bar crowd,” Nicole laughed, standing just inside the door to the apartment above Shorty’s.

The officer, still in uniform with a small bag containing a change of clothes, slung over her shoulder, had just pushed her way through the masses to reach the upstairs apartment.

“Yeah, we didn’t think that part through,” Waverly sighed, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. “But there’s a side door at the bottom of the stairs we’ve been using to cut through.”

“And Waves kicked Chump to the curb! So, we need to get the host away from the parasite before he latches on again,” Wynonna chimed in.

“You broke up with Champ?” Nicole asked, gaze focusing on the younger Earp.

“Yeah,” the brunette sheepishly replied, eyes averting to the floor. “I, um, actually have you to thank for that because—”

“WHAT?!”

Wynonna’s shout pulled the officer’s attention to the older sister.

“No? Seriously?” the older Earp exclaimed, eyes darting between Nicole and Waverly.

After the younger sister nodded, eyes still on the ground, Wynonna broke the silence, “No shit! Moving timeout, I need to buy Haught a drink.”

\--

An hour later, Nicole heaved a box into the bed of Wynonna’s borrowed truck. Stepping back from the tailgate, the redhead lifted the bottom of her tank top, using the fabric to wipe away the sweat that trickled down her face.

“Fudge nuggets!”

Nicole quickly dropped her shirt at the high-pitched squeal, accompanied by two thuds. Blinking quickly, the officer took in the scene in front of her: Waverly sprawled, stomach down, on the pavement next to a slightly crumbled box.

“Waves! Are you okay?” she asked, hurrying to the fallen woman’s side.

The smaller woman lightly smacked her forehead on the pavement as she murmured, “I think so.”

The redhead’s lips tugged up at the embarrassment in the younger woman’s voice.

“Can I help you up? Or grab the box?”

“Take the box, I’ll manage.”

Snickering slightly, Nicole picked up the box with ease and placed it in the bed with the others. As she turned back toward Shorty’s, the brunette remained on the ground but had moved to sit up.

“Um, you’re bleeding.”

“Shit, where?” the shorter woman asked, checking her knees and elbows.

“Your chin,” Nicole answered, extending a hand to help the brunette to her feet. “Go ahead upstairs, I have a first aid kit in my cruiser and I’ll help you clean it.”

Waverly gently touched her fingers to her chin, eyes widening when they came away with small streaks of red.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t look deep,” the redhead reassured.

“Are you sure?” the younger Earp worried.

“Pretty sure, but I’ll check better when I clean it. Promise.”

\--

Nicole suppressed a sigh, and her eyes automatically slipped closed as she cupped Waverly’s jaw, holding the smaller woman’s face steady to examine her scraped chin.

Waverly sat on the kitchen counter while Nicole stood in front of her, supposedly ensuring that the abrasions didn’t warrant stitches.

The officer still couldn’t fathom how just the contact with the young Earp’s soft skin could be so intoxicating. 

“Does it look okay?”

The words, and teasing tone, from Waverly snapped the redhead’s eyes open. A burning flush crept up the officer’s cheeks at having been caught.

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, blinking her eyes to focus them on the wound she was supposed to be inspecting.

“Are you sure? It looked like you were examining the inside of your eyelids.”

A huffed breath escaped Nicole’s lips as her eyes surveyed the fragmented skin.

“Yeah, I’m sure. But I should clean it and cover it. Don’t want it to get infected,” the officer replied, dropping her hand from the other woman’s face to open her first aid kit.

A fleeting ache coursed through her body at the loss of contact, but she withdrew an antiseptic wipe and bandage.

“This might sting a little bit,” she warned, ripping open the wipe’s package.

“I know,” Waverly huffed, reluctantly.

Hearing the hesitant tone in the shorter woman’s voice, the officer returned a hand to still the Earp’s head and gently brushed Waverly’s jaw with her thumb.

“Don’t worry, I got you,” the taller woman murmured.

\--

The sun had set before all the boxes had been loaded into vehicles, transported, and unloaded at the homestead.

Nicole and Wynonna lounged in the living room, surrounded by sealed boxes, while Waverly checked on some items upstairs. The redhead lifted a half-finished bottle of beer to her forehead, the chilled glass a welcome relief on her flushed skin. 

“How did you get Waves to break-up with that rodeo clown?” the older Earp asked, guzzling her beer. “I’ve been trying to get her to ditch that loser for years.”

“I actually don’t know,” the officer replied, lowering the bottle to take a sip. “It’s all odd…when she left that night, I thought she was going to see him, so your guess is as good as mine.”

Wynonna hummed to herself, frowning slightly, before agreeing, “Yeah…odd…”

“I trust you won’t take advantage of this influence you seem to have on my sister?” the older sister added, blue eyes shooting over in Nicole’s direction.

“I don’t plan on it,” the officer replied, taking another sip of her beer. “But I guess I need to find out what I did before I can answer that honestly.”

Wynonna snorted and took another long pull from her bottle, as Waverly skipped down the stairs.

“Baby girl, you never told me how you fell earlier,” the older Earp called, pointing her nearly empty bottle at the bandage still covering Waverly’s chin.

Nicole noticed the flush that crept up the smaller woman’s face at the question.

“Oh, um, I tripped,” Waverly stammered.

“You tripped? On what?” Wynonna questioned, eyebrows pulled together.

“Oh, um, t—the sidewalk.”

Nicole watched as narrowed blue eyes shifted from Waverly to herself.

“You were there, weren’t you Haught? What really happened?”

“I don’t know,” the redhead answered sincerely. “I had just loaded a box and turned to see her on the ground.”

The officer’s eyes darted to the younger Earp to see her face blushed nearly as red as Nicole’s hair.

“Hmm,” Wynonna hummed apprehensively.

The older Earp stood, downing the last of her beer, “Well this has been fun, but I need a shower. Don’t be a stranger, Haughtstuff…and remember what I said earlier.”

Nicole mock saluted from her seated position, earning a wide grin from Wynonna before she wandered to the bathroom.

“What did she say earlier?” Waverly asked.

“Oh, nothing,” the redhead replied, rubbing her neck. “I, um, should get goin’.”

Not missing the disappointed expression on Waverly’s face, Nicole stood and finished her drink too.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I have an early morning tomorrow.”

Nicole followed Waverly to the door, with little desire to leave the smaller woman, but she did have to work bright and early.

“I’m sorry I took up your Friday night.”

“No need to apologize, I’m always happy to help Waverly. You just gotta ask.”

Nicole smiled at the smaller woman, hoping the brunette would catch the sincerity in her tone.

Waverly beamed back at her, “Then I’m glad I asked…Speaking of asking, are you still planning to be at the coffee shop on Sunday?”

“Absolutely,” Nicole nodded.

“Then I suppose I won’t have to wait long to see you again,” Waverly quickly replied.

The officer felt her eyebrows pull together, attempting to place the mysterious inflection in the brunette’s voice.

“Definitely not.”

“Well, thanks again, Nicole,” the brunette paused to shift onto her toes, extending to place a kiss on the cheek of the redhead. “Text me and let me know when you made it home, okay?”

“Oh, um, yes. Yes, absolutely,” the officer stammered, feeling a flush creep to the spot Waverly’s lips just left. "I’ll see you Sunday.”

\--

“Are you doin’ okay?” Nicole asked.

Her and Waverly had just settled into the same booth at the coffee shop for their Sunday meet-up.

“Yeah…why?”

The redhead felt a crooked smile grow across her face, “Because you just broke up with your boyfriend.”

Nicole watched as Waverly wrapped her fingers around her cup of tea, gently blowing on the hot liquid before the smaller woman responded, “Yeah, it’s something I’ve been contemplating for a while…Did you know I caught him in bed with Wynonna?”

Nicole felt her eyes bulge, “What!?”

“Yeah, I mean they weren’t doing _anything_ …she was trying to get information out of him…” the brunette sighed and sipped her tea before continuing, “…but I’m sure he would have gone through with it…”

The redhead felt her heart go out to the smaller woman at the dejected tone that filled her words and how hazel eyes sadly stared down at her tea.

“You don’t have to tell me…but why did you stay with someone like that?”

Waverly shrugged, eyes focused on her cup, “Small town, limited dating options, you know…I just, um, never saw the possibility of anyone treating me better…especially being an Earp.”

Nicole felt her heart break a little bit more. 

“Waverly, you deserve _the world_.”

Hazel eyes finally lifted, and the redhead saw a small smile play across the brunette’s face.

“My sister said the same thing.”

“Something tells me you don’t believe us.”

The shorter woman squirmed slightly in her seat, “I, um, I’m not sure I would know what that would even look like.”

“I could show you.”

The words automatically tumbled from the officer’s mouth.

“I mean, I could show how well you deserve to be treated…so you know if the next guy that comes along is good enough for you.”

“What do you mean? Like a mock date?” Waverly questioned, eyes wide.

“Yeah…if you wanted…”

Hazel eyes grew impossibly larger at the comment, and the shorter woman’s jaw dropped the tiniest bit.

“Sorry, that was stupid, I shouldn’t have—”

A small hand covered her own, silencing the redhead.

“I would really like that,” Waverly beamed, eyes alight with…something the officer couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Her heart wanted to say it was adoration.

Shaking her head slightly, Nicole pushed the thought aside, “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Why would I be?”

“Oh, um, well in case you haven’t noticed…I’m gay.”

Hazel eyes flashed mischievously as the smaller woman replied, “I _have_ noticed. But why would that matter?”

The officer felt the corner of her lips tug up into a, likely dimpled, grin.

“I guess it doesn’t.”

\--

The two spent the rest of the afternoon at the coffee shop, eventually making plans for their “date” on Thursday night.

Once the officer was home on her couch, she allowed her mind to freely process the possible consequences of this mock date.

It certainly wasn’t the first time she had fallen for a straight girl. _And won’t be the last_ , her mind slyly added.

Sighing, she couldn’t help but, begrudgingly, feel as though she was setting herself for heartbreak by going through with this.

Rubbing her forehead in frustration, her eyes slipped closed. Instead of black, her vision filled with Waverly, beaming at her from across the table, her eyes radiant.

Feeling her cat brush up against her other hand, craving attention, she reluctantly opened her eyes. Ignoring the cat, she pulled her phone from her pocket to start planning her date with Waverly.

Hearing a frustrated meow from Calamity Jane, Nicole pried her eyes from her phone and replied, “I know, I know C.J., I’m just setting myself up. But I want her to be happy…and, if she is, then it’s worth whatever pain this causes me…”

She sighed and absentmindedly scratched her cat with her free hand as she added, “…I think.”

Nicole’s attention went back to her phone as she started to formulate a chivalrous plan for Waverly.

A little while later, she tossed her phone aside and turned her attention back to her cat.

“Which do you think she’ll like better? A trip to the city or staying around here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I feel like my grand plans for this chapter were much better than the execution but I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless. 
> 
> Here's your options for Chapter 5:  
> 1\. City “date”  
> 2\. Small town “date” 
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday March 28. The most popular option will be posted after that.~~
> 
>  
> 
> Update: City "date" it is! Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

Waverly sighed, running a hand through her disheveled hair.  
  
The contents of her closet spilled out across her bed, a chair, and the top of her dresser as she frantically tried to decide what to wear for her mock date that afternoon with Nicole.  
  
It wasn’t as though she had put this off until the last minute; instead, she agonized over this decision since Sunday. Each day she came to the same conclusion: she had no flippin’ clue what to wear.  
  
Rifling through the same garments for what felt like the millionth time, her mind wandered back to her desperate text to Nicole last evening:  
\--  
Waverly [7:02 p.m.]: Sooo what should I wear tomorrow?  
Nicole [7:03 p.m.]: Whatever you’re most comfortable in Waves    
Waverly [7:05 p.m.]:  :(  
Waverly [7:05 p.m.]: I don’t know if I should dress to impress or play it casual…so HELP  
Waverly [7:06 p.m.]: …if you told me what we’re doing then I could plan appropriately  
Nicole [7:06 p.m.]: Nope it’s a surprise  
Nicole [7:07 p.m.]: And it’s my job to dress to impress  
\--  
Waverly sighed again as her mind wandered from her own predicament to what the officer might don later today.  
  
She didn’t think it would be possible for her to be any more impressed by Nicole, as she was already utterly enthralled by the officer. Somehow, after hours with Nicole in shorts and a tank top, Waverly felt anything that further masked the officer’s lithe body would be a disappointment; catching an unexpected glimpse of additional skin only amplified that concern.    
  
The brunette felt herself blush as her mind replayed the sight of Nicole, lifting the hemmed edge of her tank top to reveal defined muscles, visible through pale skin. A small bead of sweat, glistening in the afternoon sun, slid down the officer’s sleek stomach before disappearing into an adorable belly button.    
  
Nicole’s voice echoed in her ears, _Waves! Are you okay?_  
  
A smile automatically stretched across her face. Even the worry in the redhead’s tone couldn’t quell the happiness that swelled from recalling the first time the deputy used her nickname. No, she most certainly was not okay, she thought, because her hard fall was a perfect metaphor for her growing feelings toward Nicole.  
  
Her smile grew as her memory shifted to their close contact while the redhead meticulously attended to the, now-healing, abrasions on her chin.  
  
“Did your closet vomit?”  
  
Waverly jumped, not hearing her sister enter the room. Alarmed, she caused several garments and their hangers to tumble to the floor.  
  
“Fudge nuggets,” she muttered, hastily picking them up. “What do you need Wynonna?”  
  
Her older sister flopped onto the bed, not bothering to move clothes out of her way.  
  
“Oh nothing, just seeing if you were ready for your date tonight.”  
  
“I don’t know what to wear,” Waverly moaned, running the heel of her hand across her forehead.  
  
“You seem a little…distr-Haught…”  
  
The younger Earp moaned again, “How long have you been waiting to say that?”  
  
“All week!” Wynonna replied brightly, picking through the clothes closest to her. “No seriously baby girl, you need to take a chill pill, you’re all uptight over this thing. You want to make a good impression if y’know…”  
  
Her sister trailed off waggling her eyebrows. Waverly felt her own eyebrows pull together in confusion.  
  
“If…what…?”  
  
“If you want this date to have a happy ending,” her sister cackled.  
  
“Wynonna,” Waverly groaned, closing her eyes and feeling a warm flush creep into her cheeks.  
  
“I knew it!”  
  
The younger sister felt her stomach sink, and a frown tugged at her lips.  
  
Swallowing forcibly and slowly opening her eyes, the younger sister stammered, “K—knew what?”    
  
Wynonna hopped off the bed, carelessly sifting through the garments strewn about the room, and murmuring to herself, “Nope, nope, waaay too much skin, nope…”  
  
Rooted to the spot, Waverly watched as her sister continued to sort through piles of clothes, before holding up a particular hanger. Wynonna tilted her head slightly before closing the distance between them and holding the garment in front of the younger Earp, as if imagining it on Waverly.  
  
Holding the hanger out, Wynonna simply stated, “She’ll love this.”  
  
“Isn’t that a little much for a first date? Or not a real date?”  
  
“Not a real date,” her sister scoffed, turning to hang the garment on a hook on the back of the bedroom door. “You’ve been freaking out over this all week, are panicking over what to wear, and have a gross, gooey smile spread across your face every time you so much as think about Officer Haught-stuff. Tell me how this isn’t a real date?”  
  
Waverly’s arms unconsciously wrapped around herself as her sister spoke. Her stomach churned, knowing Wynonna’s words were painfully true: she wished this was a real, honest, hoping for a kiss at the end of the night date with Nicole.  
  
But saying it aloud, voicing that desire, meant opening the Pandora’s box of questions and emotions that she had kept tightly closed since meeting the new officer.  
  
Before the new deputy confidently strode into Shorty’s, Waverly had never taken the time to consider that she could be anything but straight. That’s just how it was in Purgatory: grow up, date someone in high school, marry them, have two or three kids. Rinse, wash, repeat.  
  
Her mind wandered back to something Wynonna said the other night: _I’ve found things are simpler through the lens of an empty whiskey glass._  
  
The older Earp was right; she just failed to mention that it might take three, or maybe four, empty glasses for Waverly to finally admit to herself that what she wanted, regardless of the repercussions, was Nicole.    
  
“And, um, you’re okay with that? If I wanted to go on a legit date with Nicole?”  
  
Her older sister froze, halfway twisted back toward Waverly, eyebrows furrowing quickly.  
  
The younger sister felt her stomach clench at her sister’s body language.  
  
“Really, baby girl?” Wynonna breathed, finally moving to close the gap between the two of them.  
  
Her sister held her at arm’s length, blue eyes searching her own hazel ones.  
  
“Okay, sappy big sister moment,” her sister muttered, running a hand through her hair. “All I care about is that you are happy and treated well. I don’t give a damn what that looks like for you, whether that’s Officer Haughtstuff or someone else.”  
  
Waverly felt her sister pull her into a hug, murmuring into her shoulder, “As long as it’s not Champ.”  
  
The younger Earp laughed, pulling her sister closer. She couldn’t find the words to express her relief at Wynonna’s acceptance but settled for a simple “thank you.”  
  
Wynonna pulled back and nodded to the door, “So you gonna go for the girl?”  
  
Her stomach clenched as Waverly pouted, “But it’s not a real date.”  
  
“I say, it’s whatever you make it,” Wynonna replied, as if turning this into an authentic date was the easiest thing in the world. “Now, do I need to be here to tell Haughtstuff that if she knocks you up, she’ll have to answer to me?”  
  
The younger Earp slapped her sister’s arm as Wynonna winked and turned to leave, calling over her shoulder, “I won’t be in until late…just in case it does become a real date.”  
  
As the door closed behind her sister, Waverly’s eyes wandered to the patterned green sundress Wynonna hung on the hook. The younger Earp sighed, still not convinced, averting her eyes to a reliable crop top and skirt combination she had set aside the night before as a fallback, in case she hadn’t decided.  
  
But this was just supposed to be a “date” between friends; maybe she was trying too hard. Her eyes shifted to a pair of high-waisted jeans that would match the crop-top to create a casual ensemble.  
  
Her mind wandered back to the one clothing advice Nicole had given her the night before.  
  
Nicole [7:10 p.m.]: Oh but wear comfortable shoes! Don’t worry, it’s nothing too crazy, but we’ll be on our feet a little bit.     
  
After putting away her other clothes, Waverly dug through her closet to withdraw a pair of flats that would match any of the final possibilities. Fanning her three options across her bed, the brunette still wasn’t sure.  
  
Sighing again, she retreated to the bathroom to start getting ready.  
  
Options:  
1.    Green sundress  
2.    Skirt and crop top  
3.    Jeans and crop top

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry, mock/fake/whatever you want to call it date is up in the next chapter. I won’t string you guys along too bad :) 
> 
>  
> 
> ~~Same as usual: comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, April 4. The most popular option will be posted after that.~~
> 
>  
> 
> Update: can't argue with Wynonna logic, green sundress it is.


	6. Chapter 6

Glancing in her rearview mirror, Nicole only saw the dust churning behind her old SUV as she drove to the homestead.

With a sigh, the officer’s brain returned to its own spiral, replaying Waverly’s brief kiss on her cheek. The mere memory that had seemingly played on a loop during every idle moment since last Friday caused Nicole’s skin to burn and flush as if the brunette’s lips were touching her again.

The officer tried not to read too much into it— _friends innocently kiss each other on the cheek, right?_ —and chalk it up to Waverly’s touchy-feely nature, recalling how the brunette had previously grasped her hand at the coffee shop.

Her foot eased off the gas pedal as she passed under an arch, the homestead coming into view. Her old, light blue Jeep Wagoneer, complete with wood paneling, slowed to a stop in front of the entry and Nicole shifted into park.

With a deep breath, Nicole reached over to grab a bundle from the passenger seat. As she stepped out of her old Jeep, she pulled her blazer straight with her free hand.

Her fingers trembled as she closed the distance between her Jeep and the door to the homestead.

Though her brain was all too aware that this wasn’t a real date with Waverly, the anxiety coursing through her veins, her damp palms, and her rapidly beating heart seemed to think otherwise.

Once in front of her the door, her eyes slipped closed as she took another steadying breath. Eyes still closed, she raised her free hand, flicking her wrist to knock on the door and failing to meet a solid surface.

Nicole’s eyes snapped open. Instead of a wooden door, the redhead’s field of vision took in the entry to the homestead. She blinked and shifted her gaze down to see Waverly, standing in the door frame.

A breath caught in her throat as she took in the green sundress that hung from the brunette’s petite frame, billowing slightly in the afternoon breeze. Her gaze crept up to Waverly’s eyes, noting how the green of the dress brought out the emerald hues in Waverly’s hazel eyes.

“Beaut—I mean, you look beautiful,” Nicole breathed.

The officer watched as Waverly leaned on the doorframe, face slightly scrunched as she replied, “Is this part your act? Or serious?”

“Totally serious,” Nicole stated, keeping her gaze on Waverly’s eyes. “But it’s a definite red flag, if a potential suitor doesn’t say it after seeing you in this. And it’s definitely a concern if they don’t bring these.”

Waverly beamed as Nicole held out the bundle of flowers.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Waverly replied, head bobbing as she took in Nicole’s slim dark jeans, light blue v-neck tee, and gray blazer.

“A good date dresses up,” the officer smirked, pushing a strand of hair, that had escaped her ponytail, behind her ear. “Shows they want to leave a good impression.”

“So, do I need to bring a pen and paper to take notes on all this advice as we go along?”

The grin on Nicole’s face grew, “No, but I don’t want to lose sight of the purpose of this date. I’ll keep the commentary to an as-needed basis, so you know if the next guy that comes along is regarding you with the utmost respect.”

The officer watched as Waverly’s mouth opened as if she was going to say something but, after a brief pause, she quickly snapped it shut.

The brunette bit the inside of her lip before breaking the silence, “Let me put these in water and we can go.”

From Waverly’s tone, Nicole was certain those weren’t the words initially on the tip of her tongue.

\--

“So, what are we doing?” Waverly asked as Nicole turned the steering wheel, easing the Jeep onto the road.

“That would ruin the surprise,” the deputy replied with a smile and a glance in her rearview mirror. “But I will tell you _where_ we’re goin’.”

“Where?”

“The city.”

Nicole’s insides froze at the lack of reaction from the passenger seat. Quickly glancing to her right, Waverly’s eyes were wide, jaw dropped slightly.

Worried that she should’ve planned something in Purgatory, Nicole added, “Chrissy told me you’ve never been.”

“I haven’t,” Waverly stated softly.

“Is this okay?” Nicole asked, still worried. “We can do something else if it’s not.”

“It’s perfect.”

\--

“This Jeep’s in really good shape,” Waverly commented, running her hand along the tan leather seat. “Where did you get it?”

Though the pair had fallen into a comfortable silence, listening to the radio, they had spent most of the past 45 minutes in easy conversation, catching up the events of their respective weeks.

“Oh, um, it was my grandfather’s.”

“Really? What year is it?”

Nicole’s eyes darted to the passenger seat as her fingers twitched on the steering wheel.

“1991. He got it the year I was born.”

“Hm, so how did you end up with it?”

The officer shifted slightly, fingers tensing on the leather of the steering wheel for a fleeting moment.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Waverly added softly. “I was only curious.”

“No, it’s okay,” the redhead assured, glancing at Waverly again. “I always liked it. Every summer, we would go on a trip somewhere with my grandparents. Most years we went to the beach and I always rode along with my grandparents to escape my little sister…some of my best memories are from the backseat of this Jeep.”

A snicker from her right pulled her mind from her favorite road trip memories.

“Whaa—oh...” Nicole shook her head, smiling. "C’mon! Best _childhood_ memories…but now that you mention it…”

The officer shot a meaningful look at the backseat, a wicked grin spread across her face.

“Hey!” Waverly scolded, elbowing her. “So, when did you get the car?”

“He gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday. It, um, didn’t run at that point and it took months until it was ready to drive. It was nearly a year before we finished completely, y’know, restoring the interior and a fresh coat of paint.”  

Clearing her throat to push away the small lump that formed, Nicole changed the subject, “How did you get your Jeep?”

\--

A half-hour later, Nicole walked side-by-side with Waverly weaving through a crowded city street.

As they were threatened to be separated by the masses again, a small hand tugged at Nicole’s, entwining their fingers. She looked down at Waverly to see a grin spread across the brunette’s face.

“I don’t want to lose you.”

Nicole beamed, a warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with the afternoon sun beating down, and added, “Left up here at the intersection.”

The turn put them out on a quieter street. In spite of their retreat from the crowds, Waverly’s hand continued to firmly grasp Nicole’s.

“Can you tell me where we’re going yet?”

“I suppose I can tell you where we’re going _first_.”

“We’re going multiple places?” Waverly asked, surprise filling her tone. 

“Nope, we drove an hour one-way just to spend a few minutes in the city,” Nicole chuckled. “We’re going to Earl Avenue first.”

Waverly gasped, “How did you know I’ve always wanted to go there?”

“First date lesson, now that we’re almost at our destination: a good suitor does their research. Chrissy told me you’ve never been to the city but always perk up when she mentions coming here and visiting the shops on this street.”

\--

They spent the better part of two hours, popping in and out of the boutique shops that Earl Avenue was known for, before stopping for a break at a small bakery. Nicole bought them each a lemonade, and they split a large pastry as they rested and enjoyed the reprieve from the afternoon sun.

When they first sat down, side-by-side, at a small table, Waverly teased that if it was really a date they should get to know each other better. In actuality, the younger woman’s inquisitive nature drove the conversation, leaving Nicole to share more about herself than she could recall divulging in such a small window of time. Anytime the redhead wanted to ask a question of Waverly, she was beaten to the punch by the smaller woman.

The redhead’s shoulders had unconsciously tensed as the questions continued, waiting for the brunette to ask about her family. It was only when Waverly’s straw sucked up the last drops of her drink, and the younger woman asked if Nicole was ready to leave that the officer’s body relaxed.

As she stood, the Nicole was grateful but slightly surprised, that it hadn’t come up. Knowing that Waverly’s aunt and uncle raised her, the redhead couldn’t help but wonder if the younger woman wouldn’t want to answer that question herself.

“Where to next?” Waverly asked, as they stepped outside, pulling Nicole back to the present.

“Want to drop those in the Jeep?” Nicole asked, with a nod at the several small bags that Waverly carried. “The rest of our destinations are near where we parked.”

“Yes,” the smaller woman gratefully replied. “Where are we going after that?”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Nicole answered with a grin.

\--

They weaved their way through another crowded street, hand-in-hand, as Nicole led Waverly to their next stop. 

“We keep following the signs that point to the convention center,” Waverly noted, pointing at a directional sign while they waited to cross a street. “Are we going there?”

“Maybe,” Nicole replied with a playful grin.

\--

“Oh, Nicole,” Waverly murmured, barely audible over the masses around them and passing vehicle traffic, as they approached the convention center. “How did you find out about this?”

“It was a happy accident,” Nicole grinned, pulling Waverly into her side. “Originally, I had planned to take you to the museum, but then I saw this and thought we could do that another time.”

The officer didn’t miss the way the way the shorter woman’s green-dominated hazel eyes lit up at those last two words.

“You’d be willing to come back here with me?” Waverly sheepishly asked.

“Anytime, Waves.”

They walked closer to the large building, Nicole watching the shorter woman at her side, as Waverly took in all the signs advertising the traveling exhibit from The British Museum in London.

“Oh, no,” Waverly groaned, pointing at a sign near the ticket booth. “Tickets for today are sold out.”

“Aw man,” Nicole sighed, “it’s too bad…”

The redhead trailed off as she fumbled with the interior pocket of her blazer, “…that I got tickets in advance.”

\--

The two lingered in the convention center, taking their time meandering throughout the exhibit. Within the crowded building, Waverly tightly grasped Nicole’s hand again to avoid being separated. Nicole knew she should be taking advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that she had in seeing these relics up close, but instead she couldn’t take her eyes off Waverly.

The smaller woman was more excited and further intrigued by each element of the exhibit than anyone else in the room. The smile on the officer’s face continued to grow as she watched Waverly take in every detail: reading each plaque and description, lingering over each and every aspect of the exhibit, from the artifacts themselves to signage detailing the procurement of each item, as if she was trying to commit it all to memory.

As the pair exited into the evening air, still hand-in-hand, Waverly gushed about a particular artifact that she never imagined she would see up close. They walked across the plaza to the street, and the brunette’s joyous rambling was cut-off by a resounding growl from Nicole’s stomach.

A giggle escaped Waverly’s lips as Nicole sheepishly apologized, feeling her face flush.

“I’m the one who should apologize,” the shorter woman replied, glancing at her watch. “I didn’t realize we were there for so long.”

“Anything in particular you want for dinner? I have a few options in mind that are close by,” Nicole asked.

“After that noise from your stomach, whichever is closest, yeah?” Waverly teased.

“There’s a sushi place on the corner up there. Are you sure that’s okay? Because I don’t mind waiting. There’s a—”

The brunette gently squeezed her hand as she interjected, “I’m kind of starving too…and sushi sounds amazeballs right now.”

“Amazeballs?” Nicole questioned, eyebrow quirked, as she led them toward the restaurant.

\--

Nicole grinned, noting the flush that crept up Waverly’s cheeks: a combination of embarrassment and rice wine the cause of the growing tinge of pink.

“Don’t tell Wynonna, I told you that,” Waverly sheepishly confessed, hiding her face behind a hand.

“Why shouldn’t I?” the officer asked, grinning after hearing a story about Wynonna rescuing some bunnies as a child, hiding them in the barn, and caring for them in secret. “It’s endearing, cute, and—oh…”

She trailed off as her mind caught up, “…ah. She wouldn’t want to ever come off as that soft?”

“Nope,” Waverly replied, popping the last bite into her mouth, placing her chopsticks next to her empty plate, and lifting her wine glass to her lips. “This place is beyond amazeballs. How did you find it?”

Feeling her lips tug into a dimpled grin, elated that Waverly enjoyed the food as much as she did, Nicole answered simply, “Chrissy suggested it.”

Pausing to drain the last of her Sapporo, the redhead added, “Are you sure you don’t want dessert?”

Waverly groaned, “No, I’m so full.”

As she flagged down the waiter for the check, Nicole replied, “I hope you’re up for one more stop.”

After, successfully, fighting Waverly for the check, Nicole stood, automatically offering a hand to the shorter woman as they left the restaurant.

Waverly shivered, the instant they stepped outside; the temperature had dipped as night fell. In an instant, Nicole shrugged out of her blazer.

“No, I’m alright,” the shorter woman asserted, taking a step back as the officer moved to place the jacket on Waverly’s shoulders.

Nicole eyed how the brunette held herself stiffly as if trying to prevent herself from shivering as the cool evening air came into contact with her exposed arms and shoulders.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, the officer held her blazer out for Waverly to step into and asked, “Would you rather be stubborn or warm?”

With a sigh, the brunette stepped forward, admitting defeat, “Warm, I’d rather be warm. I _hate_ the cold.”

Nicole gently draped the jacket over the shorter woman’s shoulders.

When Waverly turned back to face her, the officer added, “Better?”

“Much,” the brunette beamed, pulling the blazer closer to her.

A warmth radiated from the redhead’s chest at the sight of Waverly in her jacket. She couldn’t fight the dimpled grin that inevitably spread across her face.

“Which way, officer?” Waverly asked, pulling Nicole back to the present.

The redhead shook her head, gathering her bearings before nodding in the direction that they parked, “This way. Last place is near the Jeep.”

As they walked, side-by-side, down the street, Nicole felt Waverly tuck herself into her side. The redhead felt her eyes grow as she looked down at the sight.

Looking up through her eyelashes with a grin, Waverly stated, “It’ll help keep me warm.”

Unable to bring herself to wipe that look off Waverly’s face, and unwilling to separate herself from the ever-intoxicating contact from the shorter woman, Nicole pulled free her arm, that had been caught between them, and wrapped it around the brunette’s waist, pulling the other woman impossibly closer.

\--

“Let me guess, Chrissy told you about this place.”

Nicole grinned sheepishly as she nodded.

The pair stood inside a quaint coffee and tea shop near where the Jeep was parked, waiting for Waverly’s tea and Nicole’s coffee for the drive back.

With a tug on her hand, Waverly pulled the taller woman toward a wall of loose leaf tea, reading about the different varieties to buy and take home.

“How do you two know each other so well?”

“We really don’t,” Nicole admitted, eyes averting to her and Waverly’s connected hands. “Nedley invited me to dinner at his house after my first shift, and that's when we met…I think he was trying to help me make a friend in town. Chrissy told me, at least a dozen times if I ever needed anything to let her know…so I took her up on it.”

\--

“Nicole, can I ask you something?”

“Hm, of course.”

They were in the Jeep on their way back to Purgatory. Since the city lights faded from view, the only sound in the SUV had been the radio playing softly.

“Do you…do you do that for all your dates?” Waverly asked.

Nicole considered the unsure tone in the younger woman’s voice more than she contemplated her response. Her eyes briefly darted to the passenger seat; even in the dark, she could see Waverly’s eyes trained on her.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you…,” the brunette trailed off and sighed. “Do you put that much thought into planning all your dates?”

“Hmmm,” Nicole hummed as she pondered the question. “I can’t say I spend over two hours in the car with every first date, and I can’t say every date is as long or we do as many things, but generally yes. I…I want the other person to have fun and to do things they’ll enjoy.”

“No one has ever done anything nearly as thoughtful for me before,” Waverly whispered.

Nicole wasn’t sure the brunette meant to say that aloud. She bit her lip as she weighed her next words. _Why did you break up with Champ?,_ on the tip of her tongue.

Chancing another glance to her right, Nicole saw Waverly’s had turned to face the passenger window.

Swallowing her question, the officer’s gaze returned the road ahead.

\--

Stifling a yawn, Nicole shifted her Wagoneer into park in front of the homestead. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, stepped out of the vehicle, and hurried to the passenger side to open the door for Waverly.

“I told you earlier, you don’t have to do that,” Waverly chided; the smile on her face, just visible from the glow of the porch lights of the homestead, lightening the blow.

“But I need to show you how a good date ends the night,” the officer replied, offering her arm to Waverly.

The shorter woman immediately looped her own arm through, and Nicole led her to the front door.

“Hmm, and what does that look like?”

“Well…like this until we reach the front door,” Nicole momentarily paused until they reached the entry. “Then, they should take your hands.”

The redhead shifted, allowing Waverly’s arm to slip free and entwined smaller fingers with her own.

“Then, they should tell you that they had a wonderful time with you…and that they hope to do it again soon.”

“And what should I do?” Waverly prompted.

“What do you mean?” Nicole asked, tilting her head to the side.

Nicole felt the brunette gently squeeze her hands as she answered, “If they pulled out all the stops like this and treated me with respect all night…what should I do?”

“Kiss them.”

Those two words reached her ears before her mind could register that they came from her own mouth.

Feeling her jaw drop in horror, she moved to raise a hand to cover her mouth, but Waverly held on tightly, preventing the movement.

“I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “Y—you should do what you want to do. You shouldn’t feel like you have to do _anything_.”

“No, it’s okay,” Waverly reassured. “Seriously, Nicole…if any date deserves a kiss after all the effort that went into tonight…it’s you.”

Nicole looked down into the green eyes across from her, fighting the urge to dip her head. She wanted nothing more than to lean down and gently connect their lips to end tonight. Her chest ached as she fought to remain upright.

“I, um, I should go…it’s late,” Nicole stated, pulling her hands from Waverly’s grasp before the brunette could stop her. Shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and averting her eyes to the floor of the porch, she added, “I really did have a good time with you tonight…”

Her brain reeled as it attempted to come up with a friend-appropriate way to say they should do it again sometime. Coming up with nothing, she forced a smile and added, without lifting her gaze, “Goodnight Waverly.”

The officer turned, taking two strides toward her Jeep when Waverly’s voice reached her ears.

“Nicole! Wait!”

Nicole stopped, slowly turning back to the entry to look into the brunette’s green eyes; the taller woman struggled to place the swirl of emotions she saw, both within those emerald-dominated hazel eyes and painted across Waverly’s face.

“You shouldn’t be driving alone this late…it’s, um, a lot safer if you stay here,” Waverly stated, arms wrapped around herself.

Nicole opened her mouth to reply, but a yawn escaped instead.

“And you’re tired,” Waverly added.

The officer couldn’t argue with that; her eyes were heavy from the long day. Waverly took one step closer, closing the distance slightly.

“Wynonna’s not here and I—I don’t want to have to worry about both of you, out this late at night…please.”

Waverly’s soft tone, the worried quaver in her voice instantly crumbed Nicole’s resolve.

\--

Twenty minutes later, much to Nicole’s chagrin, she lifted the multiple covers on Waverly’s bed, dressed in her v-neck tee and the largest pair of gym shorts Waverly owned, and slid between the sheets. She shifted, holding herself stiffly and inching as close to the edge of the mattress as she could, while she waited for Waverly to return from the bathroom.

The redhead had asserted that she could sleep on the couch, but the stubborn Earp insisted she would only get crushed when Wynonna stumbled home in the wee hours of the morning.

The bedroom door opened and, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Nicole’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of Waverly in a small tank top and even smaller shorts. Averting her eyes to the ceiling, she felt her cheeks start to burn.

The flip of a switch reached Nicole’s ears as the room fell into near darkness; the only source of light a table lamp on Waverly’s side of the bed. Her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling as she felt the covers ripple, followed by the mattress dipping to her left.

The covers shifted again as Waverly broke the silence, “Nicole, you’re going to fall off the bed…scoot over, I won’t bite.”

The redhead shifted over an inch, vision never wavering.

“Are you okay?” Waverly asked.

“Uh huh,” Nicole hummed, knowing her voice would likely convey her anxious tone.

She felt the shorter woman twist beneath the covers as she added, “Can I ask you something?”

Nicole only nodded.

“Nicole, look at me.”

The redhead turned her head to see Waverly, lying on her side facing Nicole, hands tucked under her chin.

“You don’t have to answer this, okay?”

Nicole nodded again, noticing the nervousness in Waverly’s voice.

“How d—did or when did you realize you’re gay?”

As she considered the question with her brow slightly furrowed, Nicole twisted onto her side to better face the shorter woman.

“I’m sorry!” Waverly blurted out. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s okay,” Nicole reassured. She laughed, “I’m just not sure I know how to answer.”

Waverly’s forehead wrinkled as she replied, “You’ve never been asked that before?”

“No, I have,” Nicole chuckled again. “I usually just brush it off, say something generic because, honestly…I think I always sorta knew. I just didn’t have the vocabulary to describe it that way.”

The puzzled look lingered on the brunette’s face as she questioned, “What do you mean?”

Nicole shifted to get more comfortable as she replied, “Hmm like when I was 10, I thought I wanted to marry my best friend. Every time I went to her house, we’d bake cookies…and she would sneak bites of the dough with this adorable, mischievous grin on her face…it never failed to make me want to kiss her…and I could never spend enough time with her. I just didn’t know that meant I was gay necessarily…as dumb as that sounds.”

The redhead felt a smile grow across her face at the memory, but she didn’t miss the way Waverly nervously chewed on her lip.

Nicole felt a warmth rise in her chest as she asked, “Is there a reason you asked?”

She swallowed, in an attempt to force down the hope that continued to rise, and watched Waverly’s eyes bulge at the question.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Nicole added, hoping the disappointment that coursed through her veins didn’t seep into her tone. “But know you can _always_ ask me anything.”

\--

Nicole’s eyes snapped open as an elbow to the ribs abruptly pulled her awake.

Though she had drifted off to sleep a respectable distance away from the brunette, her sleeping brain couldn’t maintain the same resolve she had when she was awake. Half-sleep, she noticed a kicking and twisting Waverly was tucked into her side.

A sharp kick to her calf chased away the last remnants of slumber. Fully awake, the redhead noticed Waverly’s heavy, irregular breathing and incoherent mumbling. A pitiful cry escaped the brunette’s lips, causing Nicole to quickly sit up, noting tears mixed with sweat glistened across the smaller woman’s face.

As she gently brushed damp hair from the brunette’s forehead, “Waves, it’s okay, it’s just a dream…”

The smaller woman immediately stilled at her voice, but Waverly remained short of breath. The redhead lowered herself back to the bed and ran a comforting hand up and down the younger woman’s arm as she murmured, “It’s okay Waves, it’s okay…you’re safe…I’ve got you…”

As Waverly’s breathing evened out, Nicole was sure the younger woman was waking up. Instead, soft snoring reached the redhead’s ears.

With a small smile, Nicole wiped more damp hair from Waverly’s forehead before murmuring, allowing her tired brain one brief lapse of restraint, “I—I’ll _always_ be here…as long as you want me.”

The officer laid back down, shifting to put some space between her and Waverly. As soon as she stilled, Waverly rolled, curling closer into her side.

Nicole drifted back to sleep with a smile on her face.

\--

Nicole woke up to light peeking through the blinds and Waverly pressed tightly into her side.

With a soft sigh, she allowed herself a moment to soak in the comforting contact. Her chest ached, knowing this was the only time she would get to enjoy a morning waking up with Waverly so close, the touch of skin-to-skin causing her heart to race.

Waverly twisted, and Nicole held her breath, hoping the brunette would fall back asleep without noticing the lack of space between the two of them.

“Mmm…morning…sorry, I’m a cuddly sleeper,” Waverly whispered, eyes still closed.

Nicole felt the brunette stiffen.

“Sorry…it doesn’t make you uncomfortable does it?”

Nicole laughed, “I feel like I’m the one who should be askin' that question. But, no, it’s…nice.”

“Mmm, it is,” Waverly replied sleepily, shifting closer into Nicole. “You’re so warm.”

The redhead soaked in the contact again, committing the feel of the smaller woman’s skin on her own to memory.

“Thank you for taking me on such a wonderful…date,” the brunette murmured, sounding more awake. “I know you said it was to show me how I deserve to be treated…but I don’t think anyone will be able to come close to that.”

“I’m sure someone will come along, Waves...”

“Hmm, maybe,” Waverly murmured, shifting closer. “Did you mean it when you said I could ask you anything?”

“Of course.”

The brunette hummed in response and added, “You can ask me anything too.”

The questions that had lingered in Nicole’s brain from the past week resurfaced, along with a new one.

\--

Options:

  1. Ask why she broke up with Champ
  2. Ask why she kissed her on the cheek
  3. Ask about her bad dream from last night
  4. Stay silent



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~You guys know the drill by this point, right? Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, April 11~~. 
> 
> Update: Option #3 it is! 
> 
> While I’m hoping I can keep up with adding the next installment next Friday, I’m hitting a busy stretch with less fun, grad school-related writing. Bear with me for the next month or so, then I should be back on track; rest assured, I'm not bailing on you guys :)


	7. Chapter 7

“Hmm, well I do have a question for you.”

Waverly felt Nicole shift as she spoke. Cool air shocked the brunette’s skin as it snuck into the gap between them as the officer pulled back. A pang reverberated through Waverly’s chest at the loss of contact, forcing her eyes open.

Her field of vision was blurry, something too close to her face for her brain to process. It took blinking her eyes hurriedly before Nicole’s face came into focus. Though the officer had moved, slightly too far enough away for contact, she was still close, rolled onto her side, brown eyes round and, in Waverly’s opinion, entirely too alert for the time of morning.

With a deep inhale, the brunette lost herself in the way the morning light, that peeked through the blinds, caught Nicole’s eyes, turning their usual muddy brown color into a lighter, caramel shade. The chill that had crept into Waverly’s skin quickly faded into warmth under the redhead’s caring gaze.

As Waverly’s eyesight unconsciously lowered, she saw Nicole nervously gnaw the side of her lower lip.

“Okay,” Waverly replied, heart fluttering as the, increasing familiar, juxtaposition of comfort and nerves coursed through her once again.

“Did you, um, have a nightmare last night?”

Waverly stiffened at the question. Though her brain was a little fuzzy on the specifics of the bad dream from last night, details of it vanishing from her memory the harder she tried to recall them, the general gist of it was easy to extract. It helped that she had lived it once.

Her unconscious mind had revisited ice crumbling beneath her feet, frigid water filling her boots, weighing down her snow pants and jacket as she fought to keep her head above water. Her teeth chattered, and energy seeped out of her into the frosty lake, as she continued to drop into the icy depths. As her eyes dipped below the water line, a flash of red was the last thing she saw.

Waverly jumped as a gentle hand on her shoulder pulled her to the present.

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me. I just want to make sure you're okay,” Nicole soothed, with a small smile.

The brunette worried her bottom lip between her teeth, “How did you know?”

“You kinda thrashed around a little in your sleep,” the officer replied. “Mumbled a bit too.”

“Did I wake you?” Waverly fretted as guilt bubbled in her stomach.

Nicole smiled as she moved her thumb side-to-side across Waverly’s shoulder bone, “A little.”

Melting into the soothing contact and losing herself in the officer’s dazzling grin, the brunette relaxed.

“I woke you up in the middle of the night, and you’re still nice to me?”

“Well, yeah,” Nicole replied, dimpled smile still on display. “You couldn’t help it.”

Waverly scooted closer to Nicole, hoping to be better enveloped by the redhead’s strong arms, as her eyes slipped shut.

“Was it scary?” the redhead asked.

“A little bit, but no more than when it happened.”

“Waves…”

The brunette felt arms wrap around her pulling her closer. She sighed, her desire for the connection finally satisfied. Breathing deeply, Waverly caught traces of vanilla; the same she smelled on the redhead’s blazer yesterday.

“When I was a kid, I fell through ice on the lake…”

Waverly trailed off at the sharp inhale from the taller woman, opening her eyes. Pulling her head back to take in the officer, Waverly saw concern etched into the features of Nicole’s face: lips slightly parted, forehead wrinkled, and eyes round, wide, and unblinking.

“It’s okay,” Waverly assured, fighting the desire to reach out and smooth the redhead’s forehead. “Wynonna pulled me out.”

“Do you dream about it a lot?” Nicole asked, softly.

Waverly felt one of the officer’s hands resume their, soothingly side-to-side motion, this time on her upper back.

“No,” the brunette asserted.

As her brain struggled to recall the dream from last night, she added, feeling her brow furrow as she struggled to separate the dream from reality, “But it was different.”

“How so?”

“Wynonna didn’t pull me out…it was yo—someone else.”

The brunette bit her lip, unsure why she wanted to say Nicole pulled her out. A few confusing, but vaguely familiar words, echoed through her brain: _It’s okay Waves, it’s okay…you’re safe…I’ve got you…_

As Waverly struggled to place where those words came from, Nicole broke the silence.

“I’m so sorry, Waves…are you sure you’re okay?”

“Mmm hmm,” Waverly hummed, snuggling back into Nicole’s warmth again.

She let the dream fade from her mind as she tried to brush aside another thought: it was hard to be anything other than okay when wrapped in the arms of this beautiful, caring woman.

\--

Waverly sifted through one of the boxes that remained in the living room at the homestead. Between her nerves over her date with Nicole, anxiety over her feelings, and working, the brunette had largely been lived out of boxes, only withdrawing items as she needed them.

It put her type-A personality on edge but finally succumbing to her desire to unpack and organize served as a dependable distraction for her ever-rambling mind.

“Wynonna, what happened here?” Waverly asked as she peered into a box, only to find an empty bottle of whiskey, a half-eaten cookie, and broken table lamp.

The younger Earp twisted to see the label on the side, only to find _STUFF_ scrawled largely on one side in Wynonna’s handwriting.

“Hm?” her sister hummed, eyes on the tv as she lounged in an armchair, remote in hand and legs propped on one of the armrests.

The younger Earp pulled the bottle and the broken lamp from the box, as a Post-it note fluttered to the ground. Gently setting the bottle down, Waverly grabbed the small piece of paper only to find Wynonna’s messy scrawl again: _IOU - stupid Carl_

Waverly rose to her feet and dropped the note on her sister’s lap.

“Oh! That! I—I mean—stupid Carl drank your whiskey while we were moving.”

“What happened to the lamp?”

“Um, I may have placed it the box gently and it spontaneously broke…you should leave a bad review.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, “It’s not supposed to be child-proof.”

“Hey! In my defense, that cookie was gross.”

Waverly strode back to the box, “Where did you even get that cook—ie…”

She paused, taking in what, at first glance, looked like a sizable cookie with two clear chunks missing from it, teeth marks and all.

With a laugh, she picked up what remained of the stress ball, or rather stress oval, that did, if she was honest, realistically resemble a cookie.

Pulling it from the box and throwing it at her sister, Waverly chuckled, “Guess it’s not toxic.”

Wynonna huffed as she squeezed the remains of the ball, “Even sober, I’d still mistake it for a cookie.”

Settling back on the floor, Waverly silently pulled another box to her and sorted through its contents.

“So, what’s going on with you and Officer Haughtstuff?” her sister asked.

“Can you just call her Nicole?” Waverly huffed, rolling her eyes.

Unpacking was supposed to distract her from the redheaded officer and the little contact they had since their date a few days ago. Waverly knew it wasn’t intentional; their work schedules hadn’t aligned since their trip to the city. Anytime Waverly was working Nicole wasn’t and vice-versa.

“Okay, fine, what’s going on with you and Nicole?”

“Nothing,” Waverly sighed.

It was largely true. The brunette hadn’t spoken to Nicole since the morning after their date. They had texted back-and-forth a little bit, but not entirely enough for Waverly’s liking.

A few pictures from Nicole didn’t make it any easier. In particular, the day after their trip to the city, the officer worked the night shift and sent a selfie, mug in hand, pouting over the station’s poor excuse for coffee.

In spite of the sensible reason for their limited interactions, Waverly couldn’t help the nagging doubts the crept into her mind on occasion. Maybe she pushed way too far, way too fast by spending a cuddly night with Nicole and now the officer didn’t want to spend time with her again.

“You could change that you know, turn nothing into something.”

The sisters fell into comfortable silence, as Waverly continued to pull items from boxes and slowly find places for them within the homestead.

As her body went through the movements, the younger Earp’s mind flashed back to her afternoon and evening with Nicole. She could almost feel the heavy fabric of the redhead’s blazer draped over her shoulders and smell the vanilla aroma that lingered both on Nicole and in her Jeep, as the memories replayed.

The image of Nicole’s steady hands on the steering wheel, eyes narrowed slightly to focus on the illuminated road ahead, flashed through her mind. Even in near darkness, the officer was breathtaking, and, in that moment, Waverly had resisted the urge to grab Nicole’s long fingers as they rested on the gearshift.

When Waverly blinked, the image across her mind’s eye changed: fast-forwarding to peering into caring brown eyes as she stood on the porch of the homestead. Heart fluttering, in imitation to its pace from the other night, her own voice echoed through her ears: _Seriously, Nicole…if any date deserves a kiss after all the effort that went into tonight…it’s you._

Losing herself in the memory, her field of vision was limited to those soft brown eyes, as her heart raced. Shifting her weight to her toes, as she had prepared to ascend, Waverly used the warm, soft but strong, hands in her own to gather the courage to close the distance between her own lips and the redhead’s.

The loss of warmth had consumed Waverly’s senses; though she saw Nicole’s lips move, while swirling brown eyes averted to the warped floorboards beneath their feet, the words never reached her ears. A pang from Nicole stepping away had pushed words through her lips.

“You want a swig?”

Her sister’s voice pulled Waverly to the present. Turning toward the direction of the sound, the younger Earp blinked until her sister came into focus, the contents of a half-full bottle of whiskey sloshing as Wynonna waggled it in her direction.

“Thanks, maybe later,” Waverly replied, shaking her head.

Her mind immediately slipped back to the other night. Though it was the most considerate series of events anyone had planned for her, Waverly couldn’t tame the forlorn notion that all her future dates, real or not, would pale in comparison to her evening with Nicole.

\--

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

Waverly felt long arms wrap around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

The shorter woman loved hugs and was often the one to initiate such contact but, instead, she found herself squirming away. Her heart panged; it was a good hug, but it wasn’t from the person she missed the most.

Chrissy pulled back as she asked, “Hey…what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sorry...” Waverly trailed off, shaking her head and forcing a smile on her face. “I know! It’s been too long!”

“Hmm,” the sheriff’s daughter hummed apprehensively, as she slid back into the booth. “So, spill.”

“Spill what?” Waverly asked, slipping onto the bench opposite of her friend.

Not allowing her mind to wander to Nicole sitting across from her in this same booth, Waverly’s fingers nervously played with the cardboard sleeve on her cup. She had traded her usual tea for vanilla coffee.

Rolling her eyes slowly, Chrissy beamed, “The city! How was it?”

Waverly couldn’t fight the smile that tugged at her lips.

“Amazing,” she replied, pausing for a sip of her drink before she launched into recounting the places her and Nicole visited on Earl Avenue.

\--

“Oh! And we stopped at that candle shop—”

Chrissy held up a hand, cutting her off.

“Waves, not that I don’t care, but how was the…” her friend trailed off, before adding air quotes around the next word, “‘date’ portion of all of this?”

“Wait…how did you know about that?”

Her friend smirked over the cup that was raised to her lips, “I may have coaxed it out of Nicole.”

Waverly groaned, leaning to rest her forehead on a hand.

“So, really, how was it?” Chrissy pressed.

“Unbelievable,” Waverly breathed.

She paused, taking another sip of her coffee, feeling her hands shake the slightest bit.

“But?”

“But I don’t think anything will ever top it,” Waverly admitted, gaze falling to the table as her restless hands spun the cardboard sleeve around her cup.

Steady hands stilled her own. Waverly peeked up, to see Chrissy watching her eyebrows furrowed.

Her friend slowly withdrew her hands, wrapping them around her own cup. Waverly felt her eyebrows knit together as she watched Chrissy bite her lip.

“What are you thinking?” Waverly asked.

It was unusual to see her confident friend show such a visible sign of nerves.

“I’ve never seen you half as happy as you were a minute ago, talking about your time with Nicole. And…and you know I wouldn’t tell just anyone that you’d love to go to the city...”

Waverly didn’t answer, only nodded absentmindedly.

“Do you like her?” Chrissy asked softly.

“Of course, she’s nice and friendly, what’s not to like?” Waverly deflected, eyes averting to the table again.

“You know what I meant,” her friend pressed.

Waverly swallowed the lump in her throat, unsure when it formed. Her hands returned to the cardboard sleeve, picking at it as she contemplated her words.

“I think I do…like her that is…but I don’t know…” the shorter woman trailed off.

“What don’t you know?”

Waverly sighed, recalling the question she asked Nicole before they fell asleep side-by-side.

“I haven’t always felt this way…what if it’s a delusion or a mirage or something?”

“What if it’s not?”

\--

Waverly breathed in, nose wrinkling at the smell that lingered on her since her morning coffee date with Chrissy.

In her haste to finish the last of her caffeinated drink before her lunch shift at Shorty’s, a trickle of coffee slipped down her cheek and neck, onto the collar of her work shirt. Though she had quickly hurried to the bathroom and wiped away the liquid trail, the smell of vanilla coffee persisted, having seeped into the fibers of her shirt, reaching her nose every so often when she turned just right.

The brunette leaned closer to the tap, as she filled a glass with beer, inhaling deeply. She wasn’t normally a huge fan of the smell of beer, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Unfortunately, the lager was more water than beer and couldn’t cover up the scent that remained.

She cursed inwardly, regretting that she impulsively strayed from her usual tea. But when she heard the person in front of her in line order vanilla coffee, her mind automatically drifted to the alluring scent that lingered on her favorite officer, and she automatically ordered the same beverage.

If the vanilla that currently enveloped her nostrils were anything close to Nicole’s vanilla, Waverly wouldn’t have minded. Instead, it combined with the bitter aroma of stale coffee, leaving the bartender increasingly disgusted every time the odor reached her nose.

\--

It was mid-afternoon when the sound of approaching sirens reached Waverly’s ears, pulling her out of pining for Nicole. The brunette’s eyes immediately darted to a window, just in time to see two police vehicles, complete with flashing lights, speed by the saloon. Stomach twisting, her eyes darted to the clock.

It was only 2 minutes after 3 p.m., which meant Nicole just started her shift. With a sigh of relief, the twisting mostly dissipated as she rationalized that her favorite officer likely wouldn’t be in one of the racing cars.

As some customers filed in, the bartender gathered that the sheriff’s department responded to a disturbance down the street. When one casually mentioned he heard “shots fired,” the unease twist in the pit of her stomach rekindled.

Pouring beers for the new customers, a selfish concern wormed its way to the forefront of her mind: what if something happened to Nicole before Waverly could tell her how she felt? With a shake of her head, she pushed it aside, more preoccupied with the officer’s safety.

When Gus tapped her on the shoulder, signaling her beak, the brunette hurried out from behind the bar; her worried mind ran through what to do:

Options:  
1\. Check out commotion outside/see where cop cars went  
2\. Hurry down to the police station to check on Nicole  
3\. Text Nicole, asking if she’s okay and if she can bring her dinner, once she’s done her shift at Shorty’s

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, April 18.~~
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> Special shout-out to [Trash_PandaTO](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash_PandaTO/pseuds/Trash_PandaTO); without our ridiculous commenting back and forth, we would be without Wynonna’s comic relief and supportive sisterly advice.
> 
> Update: option 2 it is!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I have a handful of excuses I could use, but in reality I really struggled to put together this chapter in spite of having a good idea where I wanted it to go. On the brightside, for those of you hoping for a small-town date a few chapters ago, part of what I had in mind for that will weave its way into this chapter.
> 
> Mind the updated tag.

Heart pounding and palms sweaty, Nicole tightened her grip on the steering wheel, sirens echoing through the empty streets.

She was in Nedley’s office, a few minutes early for her shift, when the call came in. Shot, maybe shots, fired. Hostages. Plural. As in more than one.

Her imagination got the better of her as she wondered who might be wounded, or maybe even dead, when they arrived.

As her cruised passed Shorty’s, her eyes automatically drifted from the road to the saloon’s doors. Forcing her eyes back to the taillights of the sheriff’s SUV, a brief, irrational panic rose inside of her, freezing her lungs. What if Waverly had stepped out for something? What if she wasn’t still at work? What if she was among the hostages?

Nicole shook her head, willing the thoughts aside as she sent up a silent prayer, pleading to any deity listening, for Waverly to stay safe. She pushed the gas pedal lower, closing the gap between her and the sheriff’s SUV that had grown in her moment of inattention.

\--

Nicole stepped out of her cruiser to see Nedley fuming. She strode closer to the sheriff and asked what he needed from her.

“We’ll be taking our orders from the _deputy marshal_ ,” Nedley huffed, retrieving his rifle from his SUV.

They stood a respectable distance back, awaiting instruction. Nicole’s eyes darted across the scene inventorying every detail, only stopping to watch as Wynonna handed over her gun before inching toward the surplus store, hands raised.

Mirroring Dolls’ action, Nicole unholstered her gun, aiming it at the door and only lowering it once Wynonna let inside by, presumably, one of the hostage-takers. 

Confusion settled in as she ran through possible reasons for the aggressive tactic by Dolls. The assertive approach was what spurred Nicole to action, knowing, and not wanting to admit, how much this recklessness could hurt Waverly if it back-fired.

“What’s the plan deputy marshal?” she asked, reholstering her gun.

“We surround the store. You get a clear shot, let me know…We hear shots we go in. Call Waverly, tell her that her sister’s in a situation,” Dolls answered, pulling out his phone.

“Got it,” she replied, waving off the phone, internally glad she wasn’t the only one considering Waverly in this situation.

“You have her number?” Dolls asked, eyes narrowed.

“Yep,” she answered, turning away.

Nicole strode a few paces away, in the direction of her cruiser. As she pulled her phone from her pocket, she sighed; as tough as a conversation this would be, she would do anything to deliver this news in person, to be able to better ease the panic she knew would course through the shorter woman.

She scrolled through her contacts, pressing Waverly’s name and lifting the phone to her ear. As it rang, nerves swelled in the redhead, easing slightly when Waverly’s voice carried into her ears: _Hey, it’s Waverly! Sorry I missed you but leave a message and I’ll get back to you soon!_

With a deep inhale at the sound of the beep, the officer spoke, forcing a professional tone to seep into her voice, “Hi Waverly, this is Deputy Haught. The sheriff and I are at a scene with the Black Badge Division. Um, your sister has inserted herself in a bit of situation here… I’ll keep you informed of any updates…but please stay inside and stay safe. Okay? Okay…um, please call me when you get this.”

She frantically pulled the phone from her ear, pressing to end the call before the word vomit could continue. Rolling her eyes to herself, she shoved the device back into her pocket.

The door of the surplus store inched open, exposing one of the hostage-takers, pulling Nicole’s focus back to the problem at hand.

Too far away, Nicole inched closer, keeping herself covered by Nedley’s SUV and unholstering her gun. Before she reached the sheriff and Dolls, the door closed with a thud, a frustrated huff escaping the deputy marshal.

It was another few minutes before the door opened again, this time Wynonna pushing it open. A hostage-taker close behind her, shielding behind the Earp with a gun to her head.  The remaining hostages, Shorty and Champ, were next followed by another presumed organizer of the hostage situation, gun to Shorty’s head.

“Okay, I can offer safe passage in return for the hostages,” Dolls called.

“Here’s our safe passage! Anyone with a badge follows us, they all die,” the suspect behind Wynonna shouted.

“Deputy, did they find what they were looking for?” Dolls asked, lowering his gun.

For a fleeting second Nicole’s arms relaxed, to mirror the deputy marshal. Catching herself, she tensed again, searching for any hole in the human shield.

“Yeah, a loveless heart but don’t sweat it. I’m gonna kill these sons of bitches with my bare hands.”

In spite of the situation at hand, Nicole felt her lips tug up at the Wynonna’s response.  

But it quickly faded as the elder Earp crawled into the shadiest van Nicole had ever seen, complete with a brush guard fashioned from tree branches.

“Can I at least shoot out the goddamned tires?” she heard Nedley ask.

“Yeah, if you want them to die now, go ahead.”

The engine sputtered to life, and Nicole moved closer to the two men, “What? We’re just letting them go?”

In spite of Dolls’ firm no, it sure seemed like they were letting them leave as the van rolled by, trapping the three of them between it and Dolls’ SUV.

She barely heard Dolls’ order to clear the scene over the blood pounding in her ears.

Shortly after Dolls’ left the scene himself and Nedley radioed in with an update on the situation.

“Nicole! Nicole! Where is she?!”

Nicole’s eyes turned toward the all-too-familiar voice, stomach sinking.

Long brunette hair billowing behind, Waverly ran toward her, hazel eyes wide with panic, “I went to the station, you weren’t _there_ , and then I got your voicemail. Where is Wynonna?!”

“Waves...”

 --

After updating Waverly himself, Nedley ordered Nicole to escort the brunette back to Shorty’s and not let the shorter woman out of her sight until he radioed otherwise, in case “one of those damn knuckleheads” decided to come for the youngest Earp.

It didn’t seem like Waverly would go willingly, but when Nicole wrapped an arm around the smaller woman’s shoulders, her protests faded. Nedley assured them he would update Nicole as soon as he knew anything.

Silence filled Nicole’s cruiser on the short distance back to the saloon. Waverly lingered in the passenger seat after the officer shifted into park. The pair moved simultaneously: the brunette exiting the vehicle as Nicole opened her mouth, empty words on the tip of her tongue.

With a sigh, Nicole opened her own door, sliding out of the cruiser and replacing her Stetson on top her head. She trailed behind the brunette as the shorter woman marched back to the saloon.

They were only a step or two inside the door when a stern “Waverly Judith Earp!” pulled Nicole’s vision from a stiffened Waverly at her side, to the bar.

A visibly livid Gus, rounded the edge of the bar, arms crossed firmly over her chest as she closed the distance between the two of them in a few long strides, “Your break ended 20 minutes ago. Where have you been?”

Nicole’s eyes darted back to Waverly; the shorter woman’s hazel eyes averted to the floor, her hands twisting.

“Fine,” Gus chirped, shaking her head, pulling Nicole’s attention back to the older woman. “Get your ass back behind the bar. I don’t know what’s gotten into you girl. You’re about as unreliable as your sister these days.”

The officer’s head instinctively turned toward movement in her peripheral vision, just in time to see Waverly’s knees buckle.

Without conscious direction, her hands grasped the shorter woman’s waist before Waverly could crumble to the floor. A choked sob reached her ears, spurring the redhead to wrap her arms around Waverly, supporting her when it seemed the brunette couldn’t hold herself upright.

Feeling eyes on her, Nicole twisted as best she could while maintaining her grip on the younger Earp to see Gus staring at the pair of them, eyes narrowed.

After another whimper from Waverly, Nicole answered, turning to better face Gus and drawl slipping out while her attention was preoccupied with the woman in her arms, “Ma’am, I do apologize, but Wynonna’s been involved in a bit of a situation and…um…we don’t know where she is.”

The older woman’s eyes popped at the words. In an instant, Gus pulled Waverly from Nicole’s arms and into a tight embrace.

Nicole stepped back, trying to minimize her intrusion on their moment. One of Waverly’s arms extended, hand fumbled out, reaching out toward her, as if trying to reel her back. As the officer’s eyebrows furrowed, processing the gesture, the brunette’s hand dropped and clutched at her aunt’s back.

 At that moment, she heard the dam break on the tide of emotion Waverly had held back, and distraught sobbing filled the bar.

\--

Though Gus insisted Waverly could go home, the stubborn brunette protested, maintaining she wanted to keep her mind busy. But the Earp accepted her aunt’s offer to utilize the empty apartment upstairs to gather herself.

Nicole followed behind as Waverly climbed the stairs, torn between her desire to fulfill Nedley’s orders, not _at all_ magnified by her own selfish motivations to protect Waverly, and giving the shorter woman space to compose herself. But when the brunette turned back, and cloudy hazel eyes locked on her own, she thought she made the right call.

That was until the door to the apartment closed behind them, and Waverly huffed, “I don’t need a babysitter. I hope those shit-tickets do come looking for me. I’ll kill them with my bare hands.”

A small smile tugged at Nicole’s lips, as it had earlier in the day, the first time she heard those words fall from an Earp’s mouth, their tones and expressions full of piss and vinegar.

“It’s not funny!”

Nicole quickly raised her hands in surrender, “I didn’t say it was funny…”

Eyeing the tenseness in the shorter woman’s shoulders and the pain that continued to cloud hazel eyes, she closed the distance between them by a step, “I don’t doubt, for a second, that you can hold your own…but, maybe you could use a friend.”

Something shifted in Waverly’s eyes as Nicole uttered those last few words. Before the redhead could speculate on what she saw, the brunette crashed into her arms, tears flowing freely again.

\--

Over an hour later, Nicole’s radio crackled to life while she sat at the bar. Her own last name echoed in the sheriff’s clipped voice.

She nearly upended her glass of water onto her Stetson in her haste to reach for the button to respond. In the span of a blink, Waverly and Gus hurried to stand across the bar from her. 

“Go for Haught,” Nicole replied, hoping the quaver in her tone didn’t carry over the airwaves.

“Location?”

“Shorty’s, sir.”

“Don’t move, en route.”

Panic grew in Waverly and Gus’s faces at the cryptic words.

“Any updates, sir?”

The palpable tension rose at the sheriff’s delay.

“She’s safe.”

Waverly and Gus exhaled as one, relief crashing over their faces.

Between the pause and the change in the sheriff’s tone, Nicole was sure something had gone amiss; something the sheriff didn’t want to voice over the radio.

But she swallowed her worry and allowed a grin to fill her face at Waverly’s elation.

\--

Waverly and Gus’s lingering relief still filled the saloon when the heavy doors creaked open to reveal the sheriff. Nedley strode in, removing his hat, and one look at the weary features on his face and bleary, hollow look in his eyes confirmed Nicole’s suspicions.

“Randy?”

The quaver in Gus’s voice gave-away that Nicole wasn’t the other one who noticed the sheriff’s demeanor.

“Gus,” he nodded in her direction, tone slow and pained, “can we have a word in private?”

\--

It made Nicole uneasy when Waverly shrugged off the redhead’s offer to accompany her to Shorty’s funeral. The brunette insisted she needed to be there for her sister and aunt, but asked Nicole to stop by the wake.

Nicole volunteered to work the morning of the funeral, allowing her colleagues, who better knew Shorty, to pay their respects. Lonnie attended the beginning of the wake, before relieving Nicole for the day.

And that was how Nicole found herself, still in uniform, holding Waverly’s hands as they stood across from one another at the saloon, tears slipping from the brunette’s eyes.

She wanted to desperately ask why the brunette was working. Surely someone else could? Someone that didn’t know the bar’s namesake as well?

She shook her head, subtly to herself. The man was the proprietor of the only watering hole in a small town, everyone knew him.

\--

For an hour, Nicole hung out, keeping a watchful eye on Waverly and sipping a glass of unsweetened tea until Gus kicked out everyone that wasn’t family. The redhead moved to leave, when Waverly grabbed her arm, stilling her movements, with one simple word.

“Stay.”

Nicole nodded, as she searched the depths of Waverly’s grief-filled, red-rimmed hazel eyes.

Gus disappeared for a moment. Nicole breathed a brief sigh of relief when her eyes scanned the room to see that “family” wasn’t literal in this context. Nedley remained behind, along with both Earp sisters. Dolls’ stayed after a blazing glare from the elder Earp. One of her colleagues remained perched on a barstool as well.

When Gus returned, she had a bottle of whiskey in hand and pulled out the appropriate number of glasses. The small group moved closer under her orders as she poured a bit of the amber liquid into each tumbler.

Nicole felt smaller fingers entwine in her own. Her head twisted, eyes locking on Waverly’s.

“This was his favorite whiskey,” the brunette explained with a squeeze.

Gus distributed the glasses and, when she reached Nicole, the redhead paused. It took another tug on her hand and leveling glare from Nedley before she accepted with a murmured “thanks.”  

When everyone had a tumbler, Gus spoke words that barely reached the redhead’s ears as her attention was consumed by the tears sliding down Waverly’s cheeks. Unconsciously, Nicole brushed her thumb along the back of the brunette’s hand, hoping to soothe the shorter woman.

Though she knew her own pain paled in comparison to Waverly’s, she felt the ache, that had built in her chest, sharpen at the Earp’s visible grief. The awareness of just how far gone she was for Waverly washed over, as she realized there was little she wouldn’t do and little she wouldn’t give up to simply help the brunette smile at that moment.

Waverly looked up into her eyes and raised her glass; Nicole quickly mirrored the action.

“To Shorty,” the group murmured before draining their tumblers as one.

As Nicole swallowed her whiskey, a burn washing over the back of her throat before descending, she knew, in spite of her efforts, she wouldn’t be able to force her feelings down with amber liquid.

As the group fell into conversation, Waverly placed her glass on the counter and leaned heavily into her side, arms wrapped around her waist. The officer felt pain swell in her chest as she looked down, into tired, bloodshot hazel eyes.

“What do you need Waves? What can I do?” Nicole asked, setting her own empty tumbler on the bar top and wrapping her arms around Waverly.

A tired sigh escaped the brunette’s lips, and her head ducked as she muttered, “I wish we could get away from this all for a little bit.”

“Hmm…,” Nicole hummed, before something clicked into place in her mind, “…actually, I think we can.” 

\--

Nicole traipsed down the stairs of her home, dressed in her favorite pair of jeans, a plain gray t-shirt, and a hoodie draped over her shoulder. She paused on the bottom step to take in Waverly, fidgeting from her seat on the couch.

“You want to borrow some clothes?” Nicole asked, head tilting to the side as she took in the brunette’s outfit.

“That depends. What are we doing?”

A grin stretched across the redhead’s face, “That would ruin the surprise. But comfy clothes will make it more enjoyable.”

Taking pity on Waverly, who had bit her lower lip in contemplation, Nicole turned, retreating to the upper level, “I’ll grab you something just in case.”

Halfway up the stairs, the redhead paused again, twisting to look back into the living room, “Waves, have you eaten anything today?”

“Ummm…no…”

“Delivery menus are in the drawer next to the fridge. Pick whatever you want,” the officer called, hurrying the rest of the way upstairs.

Nicole rifled through her dresser, in search of a particular pair of yoga pants that had shrunk in the wash; though they fell above the officer’s ankles, they would likely still be a bit big on Waverly. Once the pants were found, she grabbed a t-shirt and paused for a moment before grabbing the warmest hoodie she owned, royal blue emblazoned with the Toronto Blue Jays logo.

When she returned to the lower level, Waverly had two menus in hand.

“Which do you prefer?” the brunette asked, flashing both papers.

“Whatever you want Waves, just order two of whatever you’re having.”

While Waverly ordered for delivery and changed, Nicole packed a bulky duffel bag, a small cooler, a reusable grocery bag, and her old, trusty hammertone green Stanley thermos.

The food arrived just as the officer finished loading the items in her truck. She paid the driver and hurried back inside her house.

“Food just got here, you ready?” Nicole grinned.

The brunette rose from the couch, and the officer’s breath caught at the sight of Waverly in her clothes. Her gaze shifted to see the brunette’s hands twisting as she closed the distance between them.

“Um, yes, but…”

“But?”

With a heavy sigh, Waverly asked, “Do you have peanut butter?”

The redhead felt her brow furrow as she asked, “Um, yeah, in the kitchen. Why?”

“Can we bring it along? And a spoon?”

Nicole replied without hesitation, handing over the bags of food and hurrying into the kitchen to grab the requested items, “Yeah, of course.”

When she returned to the entry, she added, “Can I ask why?”

The shorter woman’s shoulders shifted inward, and hazel eyes averted to the floor, “I, um, put a little bit of peanut butter in my sweet and sour soup.”

“Huh,” the officer pondered. “Never would have thought to do that. Guess I’ll have to try it sometime.”

Hazel eyes lifted, surprise painted across the Earp’s features.

“Really? You don’t think it’s weird?”

“Can’t knock it ‘til I try it, right?” Nicole grinned. “Ready?”

Waverly nodded, in response, a shy smile tugging at the corner of her lips: a smile that melted Nicole’s heart.

Once they stepped outside and off the porch, Nicole led the way to her pick-up truck.

“How many vehicles do you have?” Waverly teased, as the officer opened the door.

Nicole laughed, hurrying around to the driver’s side, waiting to respond until she climbed in herself, “I got all my bases covered, a truck, an SUV, and a car…though the cruiser isn’t really _mine_. And as much as I love the Wagoneer, it’s not exactly reliable enough to drive every day.” 

The engine rumbled to life, and the officer eased the vehicle onto the road. Nicole saw Waverly twist in her own seat, looking into the backseat of the extended cab truck.

“What’s all this stuff for? And what’s in that lumpy bag?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“And how long will that be?”

“Soon,” Nicole answered, sharply turning the wheel to direct her truck off the pavement and onto an inconspicuous dirt road.

“Do you know where this road goes?” Waverly asked, eyebrows raised.

The officer feigned offense, sighing dramatically, at the skeptical tone in the shorter woman’s voice.

“Miss Earp, do you really think an officer of the law would take you on an unmarked road if she didn’t know where it led?”

“Yes,” Waverly replied emphatically, as the truck continued, gaining elevation as the road led up a hill, “if she didn't want anyone to find my body.”

“Well, you’re in luck. Nedley showed me this little spot, so even if that _was_ what I had in mind, someone would find you…eventually,” Nicole joked. 

“Then why are we here?”

“You’ll see.”

They continued in silence for the last two minutes, elevation continuing to rise until it leveled off. With a sharp twist of the wheel again, Nicole pulled the truck forward before shifting into reverse and backing west-ward toward a drop-off.

She shifted into park and turned to Waverly, “Wait just a minute.”

Nicole slid out of her seat, grabbing the items from the backseat, and throwing them in the bed of her truck. She moved quickly, lowering the tailgate, unfurling sleeping mats, meant for camping, and two sleeping bags (zipped together to make a double) and spreading them across the bed of the truck. Then she tucked the cooler, thermos, and grocery bag closer to the back of the cab, and stretched a body pillow out, below the rear window.

The redhead leaped down from the bed, scurrying back to the passenger door and opening it. Waverly handed over the take-out bag before hopping down from the seat.

“Can you tell me what we’re doing now?” the brunette asked, looping her arm through Nicole’s.

“Having dinner and watching the sunset.”

A gasp from the shorter woman reached Nicole’s ears as they reached the end of the truck.

“What is all this?” the brunette breathed.

Nicole stepped up on the tailgate and shrugged, “I thought we should be comfortable.”

She extended her hand, helping to pull Waverly into the bed of the truck.

The pair settled in, enjoying beers from the cooler with their dinner, as the sun slowly dipped closer to the horizon. Waverly converted Nicole to peanut butter in her sweet and sour soup; the redhead enjoyed it enough to add a dollop into her own.

By the time the horizon broke into shades of orange fading to purple, the two sat side-by-side beneath the sleeping bags, leaning against the back window of the truck. Nicole felt the brunette inch closer and closer until the outer edges of their legs touched, and a small hand rested in her lap.

Nicole’s eyes slipped closed as she tried to temper the feelings that rose in her chest: the desire, the longing to lean over and place a gentle kiss to Waverly’s forehead.

“What are you thinking about?” Waverly asked, pulling Nicole from her thoughts.

She pulled her eyes open, “Hmm…nothing really, why?”

“You’re all tense.”

Waverly’s hand moved, grasping Nicole’s arm and pulling it into the shorter woman’s lap. The officer’s eyes slipped closed again as the brunette ran a comforting hand up and down the inside of her forearm.

The strain in her muscles eased at the contact.

“Better?”

Nicole only nodded, eyes still closed.

“Are you okay?” Waverly added.

Her eyes fluttered open as a shaky laugh escaped Nicole’s lips, “Feel like I should be the one asking you that. But, yeah, it’s just been a long day…are you?”

Waverly hummed, “Hmm, no, but I will be. This helps.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmm hmm. I love watching sunrises and sunsets.”

“Why’s that?”

A slightly stuttered inhale forced Nicole’s eyes to her left, “You don’t have to answer.”

“No, no, it’s okay. I just don’t know how to describe it exactly…but they’re a reminder that darkness is temporary and…that everything will move on whether we choose to move with it or not.”

Nicole searched for a response but came up empty-handed.

Instead, Waverly broke the silence, “Sometime…I—I’ll have to show you my favorite sunrise spot.”

The combination of hesitancy, uncertainty, trepidation, and vulnerability that seeped into the brunette’s tone wrapped around Nicole’s chest, squeezing and rekindling the dormant ache.

The redhead shifted, gently pulling her arm from Waverly’s grasp and lifting it over the shorter woman’s head. Resting it across the brunette’s shoulders, she pulled Waverly close to her side.

“I’d love that.”

Nicole wasn’t left wondering if her sincerity was recognized by the brunette; hazel eyes lifted, crinkled as a sweet smile spread across Waverly’s lips.

A minute passed by and neither moved. Though it pained Nicole to break the moment, she spoke up.

“You’re missing the sunset,” Nicole grinned.

“Hmm, this view isn’t too bad though.”

Nicole’s stomach twisted at the words. Waverly’s grin grew for the briefest moment before the shorter woman turned her head, looking at the horizon as she shifted impossibly closer.

A sigh escaped Nicole’s lips. The nagging question at the back of her mind, the one she repeatedly pushed away, barreled to the forefront: was Waverly always this cuddly…or was this more?

With a slight flick of her head, she wrote it off as her hopeful heart clouding her gaydar; but she gave in for a moment, placing a gentle peck to the top of Waverly’s head before shifting her gaze to the horizon.

\--

Options:

  1. Leave after the sunset
  2. Spend the night talking until the sky lightens
  3. Fall asleep in the bed of Nicole’s truck



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Monday, April 30. I know this is a bit longer than usual, but I know I won't have a lot of time to work on this before then (yay, grad school work).~~  
>     
> I hope this wasn’t too much of a downer for you all. I truly didn’t expect to go down this road when setting out but, after losing a family friend of my own a few weeks back, I couldn’t get this idea out of my head. I hope it worked for all of you.
> 
> Update: Option 2 it is! I hope to have an update up towards the end of this week. Thanks for bearing with me!


	9. Chapter 9

Silence fell between the women as the light faded until only a faint line of orange sprawled across the horizon.

It had been peaceful for Waverly, watching the pink and orange hues fade to purple then black while soaking in Nicole’s warmth.

It wasn’t just the contact that grounded her. The fading light and Shorty’s death served as reminders that life was entirely too short for her to keep her feelings for Nicole subdued for much longer. 

Especially after the redhead’s comment a few days before: _maybe you could use a friend._

Her heart ached again as the words echoed in her ears.

A friend?

Friends was the last thing Waverly wanted. She wanted to lean up and find out if Nicole’s lips were as soft as they looked. She longed to be wrapped up in the redhead’s arms all day and all night. She yearned to run her fingers across every inch of the officer.

A small whine escaped Waverly’s lips as Nicole’s arm withdrew from her shoulders, the redhead twisting toward her duffel bag.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, just grabbing a lantern,” Nicole chuckled.

A burn flared across Waverly’s cheeks, knowing her grumble didn’t go unnoticed.

The redhead froze, arm still engulfed in the large bag, and shifted her gaze back to Waverly.

“Unless you’re ready to go…it’s been a long day.”

“No,” Waverly asserted, shaking her head. “I want to stay…”

Nicole nodded and twisted back to her bag, digging through until she withdrew a battery powered lantern. With a press of a button, a soft light illuminated the bed of the truck. The redhead carefully placed the lamp on the lip of the truck bed.  Waverly, shifted, returning to the warmth of Nicole’s side, and a long arm wrapped around her back, pulling her closer.

“…I mean I told you about my sunrise and sunset thing…it’s your turn to share,” Waverly added, speaking into the fabric of the officer’s hoodie.

Beneath the thick fabric, she could feel Nicole stiffen; the muscles of the forearm wrapped around her tightened.

“Umm, my favorite color is blue.”

Waverly sighed, “You already told me that, light blue specifically.”

The brunette reached for Nicole’s free hand, taking it in her own.

Finding the deputy’s fingers clenched tightly, she gently pried them apart as she spoke, “I’m sorry, I just…want to know more about you.” 

She felt Nicole shake slightly as she spoke up, “B-but…the other day, in the city, I answered all your questions and told you…a lot...”

Waverly fought both a giggle and an eye roll as she twisted to look up into wide, brown eyes, “Yeah, trivial things. Like your favorite color. Or that you have a cat.”

“I’m sorry,” Nicole mumbled. “I—I don’t know where I’d start.”

“Hmm,” Waverly hummed, entwining her fingers with Nicole’s shaky ones as she glanced around the illuminated bed of the truck. “I take it you like camping from all this stuff.”

A shaky laugh escaped the officer, “Actually, no. Well, not tent camping. I, umm…”

Waverly gently squeezed Nicole’s hand, hoping the sign of encouragement would reach the nervous redhead. She rubbed her thumb over the back of Nicole’s hand and felt the officer lean back, Waverly moving with her, until the officer’s head rested against the back window of the pick-up truck.

“I like camping in the bed of my truck or the back of my Wagoneer…In, um, high school, a friend of mine and I would take my Jeep out to the edge of my grandparent’s property and spend the night out there.”

“No wonder you have fond memories of that backseat,” Waverly teased, a spark of jealously kindling in the pit of her stomach.

Nicole laughed, and a grin spread across the brunette’s face at the genuine sound.

“Yeah, but not quite how you’re thinkin’. Mark was the brother I never had.”

“Yeah?” Waverly asked.

“Mm hmm…after we graduated from high school, and before he left for basic training, we took a road trip, basically living out of the Wagoneer for a month.”

“Where did you go?”

“Everywhere,” Nicole sighed. “The beach, the mountains, and everywhere in between. We didn’t stay anywhere longer than a day or two.”

Waverly squeezed the redhead’s hand, “That sounds amazing.”

“It was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on,” Nicole admitted. “But we, um, did do some tent camping later on, right before I started at the academy.”

“Yeah? Where?”

Waverly felt, more than she heard, the officer drew a shuddering breath.

“He had just gotten back from overseas, and a buddy of his from the Army mentioned how hiking the Appalachian Trail helped him transition back to civilian life. I joined him in, sort of, the middle, and hiked with him through parts of Virginia and all through Pennsylvania.”

Waverly sat in silence, not only struggling for words but allowing the redhead to reminisce to herself. The brunette had selfish motivations too, snuggling closer to the officer.

As a few quiet minutes ticked by, her eyes slipped closed.

“Do you want tea?”

The question forced her eyes open as Waverly nodded.

The shorter woman reluctantly sat up, allowing the officer to pull her arm back. Nicole fumbled through the grocery bag before withdrawing a couple of tea bags.

“Sorry, they’re all herbal teas. It’s the only kind I keep around,” Nicole replied, handing over the packets.

Using the faint light from the lantern Waverly sifted through her options, finally selecting chamomile.

She watched as Nicole twisted for her thermos, noticing the taller woman’s rigid movements.  

“Are you okay?” Waverly asked.

“Yeah, why?” Nicole answered attention focused on pouring steaming water into a speckled tin mug.

“You’re holding your right side stiffly,” Waverly replied, accepting the offered mug.

“Oh, um,” Nicole stammered, shifting beneath the sleeping bag. The redhead lifted the edge of her hoodie to reveal a handgun strapped to her hip, “I brought this…I’ve heard all sorts of rumors about the coyotes out here.”

Waverly hummed in confirmation, her eyes drawn to a sliver of skin, just above the waist of Nicole’s jeans, that was revealed with the redhead’s movement. It took the officer dropping the hem of her hoodie back over holster for Waverly’s brain to formulate a reply.

“They are a big problem,” the brunette replied, fighting a grimace at the lie. “It’s definitely better to err on the side of caution in Purgatory.”

“Yeah, I’m learning that,” Nicole huffed, pouring water into a second mug. “Never knew so much weird stuff could happen in a small town.”

Waverly blew on her seeping tea, watching the steam rise into the chilly air. She used the gesture to buy time, unsure what to say as the officer rested her mug on her lap before ripping open the package of a mandarin orange herbal tea bag.

“I know you probably can’t tell me much…or anything…but is that why the Black Badge Division is here?”

Hollow answers raced through Waverly’s mind as she watched the redhead drop the tea bag into her mug with brown, downcast eyes.

As if the officer knew Waverly was watching her intently, the taller woman turned, their eyes locking on one another's.

“I know you can’t tell me,” Nicole added softly, “I’m just trying to grasp other things that happen here…and trying to understand Wynonna and Dolls’ aggressive tactic the other day.”

As brown eyes averted down again, Waverly shifted her mug to her left hand, freeing the right to grasp Nicole’s wrist gently.

“Nicole…”

The brunette waited until brown eyes lifted, slowly meeting her own again.

“I just want to help,” Nicole murmured.

“I know Nicole…,” Waverly trailed off, squeezing the officer’s wrist, “…there’s not much I can say, but you should know this: what Wynonna did saved the lives of four people. She can’t see it now, but her, Dolls, and you and Nedley, could not have done a thing different to save everyone. I know that doesn’t make it any easier, but it could’ve been…worse.”

Waverly watched as Nicole’s brow furrowed as she spoke.

“Does Nedley know that?”

“I think he does deep down…,” Waverly paused to sigh, “…but it’s hard to swallow that when Shorty was the casualty.”

“What does Wynonna have to do with all this?”

Waverly faltered again. Dolls gruff, no-nonsense tone echoed in her mind, but she could help Nicole understand, just a little bit, without revealing anything important, right?

Carefully choosing her words, Waverly slowly explained, “She has a sort of…gift…and Dolls is trying to help her utilize it to its full potential…”

\--

Hours later, their tea was long gone, but the pair remained, comfortably leaning against each other, in the bed of the truck. After Waverly’s half-truth answer, Nicole seemed to ease; some answers were hopefully palliating the officer’s concerns and worries.

The brunette was grateful that the officer didn’t push any further, but instead shifted the conversation, taking Waverly off the hot seat.

“It was _almost_ perfect,” Waverly lied when the conversation wound back to their trip into the city.

“Almost?” Nicole beamed. “What was missing?”

“Dancing.”

“Dancing?” Nicole echoed, an eyebrow quirked.

Waverly nodded emphatically.

“I think I can fix that,” Nicole continued, shifting out of the sleeping bag.

The redhead stood, offering a hand to Waverly to pull her to her feet. The brunette shivered slightly as the cool late-autumn air cut through her clothes.

“Hold on,” Nicole murmured, digging through her duffel bag and withdrawing a thick wool blanket.

The taller woman draped it over Waverly’s shoulders, the rough fabric tickling her neck.

“Better?” the officer inquired.

“Much.”

The redhead moved, hopping down from the open tailgate, and extending her hand again. The brunette clasped long fingers, using the grip to steady herself as she bounced down from the truck’s bed.

Nicole led her, hand-in-hand, back to the cab of the truck. The redhead turned on the truck's headlights while Waverly queued up a song on her phone, plugging it into the auxiliary cable.

As the opening notes rumbled from the truck’s speakers, Nicole clasped her hand again, leading her into the illuminated area in front of the vehicle.

Nicole hummed along as she turned to face the shorter woman as the first words of the song carried from the speakers.

 

_To the bag packed, first love leaver_  
_The heart cracked, double down dreamer_  
_The homesick for grass that's greener_  
_And a slice of Mama's peach pie_

Waverly grabbed the redhead’s free hand, placing it on her hip.

 _To the flat broke, couch cushion gas money_  
_The worker bee that ain't gettin' no honey_  
_Missin' someone all the while runnin'_  
_Gunnin' for the brighter lights_

The brunette looked up into wide brown eyes before pulling the taller woman closer, resting her head on Nicole’s chest.

 _Here's to the break ups that didn't break us_  
_The break down, wrong turn that takes ya_  
_To a little dive bar in Dahlonega_  
_Hear a song from a band that saves ya, man_  
_It's hittin' rock bottom smoke 'em if you got 'em_  
_Nothing's going right_  
_Makin' the best of the worst day kinda night_

As the song played, Waverly led their swaying movements as Nicole shuffled along, slightly offbeat.

_You're just singing along with your drink raised  
_

Waverly lifted her head, looking up into warm, brown eyes.

_A pretty little blonde thing's looking your way_

The officer’s caring gaze broke the damn on the emotions Waverly had held in for the past few days; though a few tears had leaked through on-and-off throughout that time, the cascade of pent-up feelings finally escaped.

Waverly didn’t notice that the song changed as Nicole hugged her close, strong arms unwavering as they held her upright until the flow of tears ebbed.  

Nicole took a small step back, and Waverly automatically moved forward, stepping back into the soothing contact.

“Waves, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry…” Waverly sniffed, head dropping.

“Hey,” Nicole breathed, “you don’t _ever_ need to apologize for crying.”

Waverly allowed the taller woman to pull her closer, long arms enveloping her.

“What’s on your mind?” Nicole asked, tone soft.

Waverly leaned back to look up into brown eyes, wide with concern. The brunette’s eyes unconsciously darted to the officer’s parted lips.

Confessions of her feelings were on the tip of Waverly’s tongue.

But two words, in Nicole’s voice, echoed across her mind: _a friend_.

With a small shake of her head, Waverly lied, “I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it tonight.” 

Waverly watched Nicole’s eyebrows pull together for the briefest moment, before the redhead pulled her closer, resting her chin atop her brunette hair.

“Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready,” the officer breathed.

\--

It took a grumble from Nicole’s stomach, and light peeking across the horizon to the east for the pair to pack-up and leave their secluded spot.

“Diner?” Waverly questioned, as the truck rumbled down the dirt road.

“That sounds amazing,” Nicole groaned.

\--

“What are you doing today?” Waverly asked, sipping from her mug of tea.

The redhead chewed the last bite of a pancake before responding, “I work the night shift later, so just sleeping between now and then.”

Nicole wiped her mouth with her napkin and added, “What about you? Do you work today?” 

“No, Gus gave me a few days off,” Waverly replied, trading her mug for her fork to spear a piece of her own blueberry pancakes, “but I think I’ll come back into town later and check on her.”

“You can crash at my place if you want,” Nicole yawned, sipping her decaf coffee. “If you’re anywhere near as tired as I am, I don’t want you driving all the way to the homestead.” 

\--

Waverly inhaled, the smell of vanilla overwhelming her senses, as she gently awoke, curled on her side in Nicole’s bed. A dopey smile spread across her face as her drowsy brain registered the warmth behind her. 

The deputy had offered, repeatedly, to sleep on her own couch. But Waverly was insistent: the redhead was sleeping in her own bed. It wasn’t until the brunette laid down on the sofa and asserted she wasn’t moving that Nicole grasped her hand, tugging her upstairs.

The shorter woman shifted closer to Nicole’s warmth and immediately drifted back to sleep.

\--

With a sleepy sigh, Waverly rolled, expecting to snuggle face-to-face with Nicole.

Instead, she turned onto cool sheets. With a frown, she opened her eyes to see the other side of the bed vacated.

Suddenly wide awake, the brunette threw the covers off and glanced at the clock on the nightstand to see it was mid-afternoon. Grabbing Nicole’s Blue Jays hoodie, she pulled it over her head and traipsed downstairs in search of a redhead.

Instead, she found a piece of paper and a key on the dining room table. She hurried towards it, hastily picking up the note to see Nicole’s tiny scrawl.

\--

_-Waves,_

_Sorry I had to leave before you woke up. Lonnie’s out sick and Nedley called me into work early. Help yourself to anything around the house, what’s mine is yours (and I keep the tea in the upper cabinet to the right of the sink)._

_Don’t feel like you need to stay until I get back in the early morning, I left a key so you can lock up, but hang out for as long as you want._

_I wanted to tell you this afternoon, and now won’t have the chance to do so in-person, but I’m sorry I haven’t been forthcoming in talking about myself. I promise to share more in the future, if you want to hear it._

_I can’t wait to see your sunrise spot, and I’m glad you’re willing to share it with me._

_Text me if you can’t find anything._

_-Nicole_

\--

Waverly quickly re-read the short note a second time, her heart swelling at Nicole’s desire to share more with her.

Returning the paper to its spot on the table, she turned toward the kitchen in search of food. As she opened the cabinet next to the sink to pull down Nicole’s tea selection, her mind mulled over how to confess her feelings to the officer.

Options:

  1. Wait for Nicole to come home from her shift
  2. Take Nicole to her sunrise spot
  3. Plot/plan a date where it’s something she thinks Nicole would like



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, May 9.~~
> 
>  
> 
> For anyone who’s curious, the song Waverly and Nicole dance to is “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” by Ashley McBryde and the chapter title is a line from the song that I thought was fitting. If you check that song out, give "Girl Goin' Nowhere" a listen too. 
> 
> Also, I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you for following along! I’ve been absolutely floored by the interest in this story and it’s been a lot of fun to write. I’m hoping I can get back to my weekly pace for you guys.
> 
> Update: Option 1 it is!


	10. Chapter 10

With her fingers curled around the handle of the mug on her desk, Nicole used her free hand to rub her eyes as she yawned.

She lost track of how many times she had, unconsciously, wished the previous night involved more rest; but it was hard to regret her abbreviated night of sleep when flashes of Waverly in her hoodie from the night before replayed across her mind’s eyes. Waking up with an arm securely wrapped around the brunette’s midsection, the smaller woman tucked perfectly into her front as they both slept on their sides, didn’t hurt either.

Imagining Waverly’s warmth against her did little to alleviate the heavy feeling that forced her eyelids to droop. As one hand dropped from her face to the desk surface, the other lifted her mug to her lips; she grimaced at the tepid brown liquid that masqueraded for coffee.

It didn’t even _smell_ like coffee, and it baffled her that it tasted its worst at lukewarm. Not that warm or cold were much better.

As she lowered her mug, her eyes unconsciously slid to the unattended front desk.

With a sigh, her eyes darted to the clock and back to the desk.

It was 1 a.m. Only a few hours ago, Waverly stood there, a large cup of (real) coffee in one hand that was overshadowed by the aroma that wafted from the take-out box in the other.

The brunette had lingered, chatting with her as Nicole enjoyed her surprise dinner from Shorty's; the turkey club and onion rings Waverly brought, after checking on Gus, a mouth-watering upgrade from the yogurt, PowerBar, and the half-eaten bag of pretzels the officer grabbed in her haste to get to work that afternoon.

Nicole’s gaze drifted to the long finished to-go cup of coffee in her trash bin. With a rueful sigh, the officer picked up her mug again, imagining it was filled with coffee from the shop down the street, as she took a sip.

\--

As Nicole turned her cruiser into the driveway, her head turned toward the faint glow visible through the curtains of her house. Her brow furrowed; why would Waverly leave the lights on?

Stepping out of her parked car, Nicole shivered slightly as she dragged her feet to the front door. 

It was nice, she vaguely thought once she shut the door behind her and twisted the lock, to return to an illuminated house. Just inside the entry, she toed off her shoes, too tired to reach down and untie them.

“Hey, Nicole. You’re home early.”

The officer jumped in spite of the familiar voice, socked feet skidding slightly on the wood floor, as she twisted to face the living room.

Her brief panic dissolved when she saw Waverly facing her from her position on the couch, back leaning against an armrest and legs in front of her. The initial fear faded to a content warmth as she took in the brunette, wrapped in Nicole’s cream-colored wool blanket from yesterday evening, arms peeking out to support the book balancing on her lap. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Waverly added, closing her book and setting it on the coffee table. 

Nicole shook her head, willing her racing heart to return to its normal rhythm.

“It’s okay, Mike volunteered to come in early so I could leave…I just wasn’t expecting you to be here.”

“Oh, um, I can go.”

Nicole paused.

The last thing she wanted was for Waverly to leave; the shorter woman’s presence in her house, waiting for her to return from work, made it finally feel like home.

Nicole had been inexplicably drawn to this house the instant she crossed the threshold for the first time. Though she had toured others, that honestly needed a bit less TLC, she knew she wanted this rustic, cozy, two-story house to be her own little piece of Purgatory.

When she purchased the house, the living room had a darker ambience; the beadboard walls were stained with the same dark hue as the floor, and the dry-walled portions were painted a deep red. Painting both of those sections a light, airy blue that both complemented the wood throughout and lightened up the room was Nicole’s first improvement.

Even after some fresh coats of paint, both in that room and others, and refinishing the hardwood floors, she couldn’t quite put her finger on what had lured her into purchasing this house. Though she loved the soothing ambiance created by the dark, rustic wood floors that mirrored the beam-clad ceiling above, the thick wood trim, and the accent work that framed the open entrance to the kitchen and carried throughout the house, none of those aspects seemed to fully justify the allure. Neither did the tall windows that allowed enough natural light to warm up the dark wood. Or the fantastic, large clawfoot tub in the master bathroom.

In spite of the work she completed to the main living space, every time Nicole lingered in the area, she couldn’t help but feel something was missing. That despite the change in color, the room still felt a little…off.

It took Waverly shifting the blanket, to reveal that the shorter woman had, again, donned her Blue Jays hoodie, for words to work from Nicole’s brain to her lips. 

“No, Waves,” the officer quickly moved to the couch, “please stay, it’s a good surprise and I’m glad you’re still here.”

“Are you sure?”

Nicole nodded, gently lifting blanket-covered feet to sit next to Waverly on the couch, placing them on her lap after she seated.

“I meant it when I said to hang out as long as you want…and it’s really nice to come home to someone,” the redhead admitted.

“Doesn’t CJ count?”

Twisting, looking around the room in an exaggerated fashion for the absent feline, Nicole replied, “She clearly couldn’t wait to see me.”

Waverly giggled, “I think I bored her. She went upstairs around midnight.”

“You didn’t have to wait up, you know. You coulda gone to bed too,” Nicole yawned.

Waverly pulled her blanket closer.

“I know…but I—I wanted…”

The brunette trailed off, fidgeting slightly beneath the blanket. Nicole felt her eyebrows furrow as Waverly’s nervous demeanor jolted her awake more effectively than any caffeinated beverage.

The officer lightly grasped the blanketed feet on her lap and ran her thumb across the tops of Waverly’s feet, hoping to alleviate the brunette’s tension.

Nicole glanced over at hazel eyes, registering that the hoodie seemed to bring out their blue undertones, just as they slipped closed.

The brunette sighed, eyes still closed, “You said I could ask you anything…”

Nicole hummed in acknowledgment, unsure where this was going.

When Waverly’s eyes slowly opened, the redhead felt a breath catch in her throat.

She was sure, after their “date,” that the emerald-dominated color from that day was her favorite hue of Waverly’s hazel eyes; she was wrong.

If Waverly were to ask her, now, what her favorite color is, it would be the precise shade of blue of the brunette’s eyes at that moment: darker than her sister’s, but still breathtakingly blue with a slate-gray undertone, with the barest hint of green.

Movement in her peripheral forced her eyes to drift to the soft smile that tugged at the shorter woman’s lips.

“Why do you look at me like that?” Waverly asked, softly.

The redhead shook her head, blinking quickly as she tried to rearrange the lovesick features were likely painted across her face.

“What do you mean?”

Nicole intentionally fixed her gaze on the brunette’s forehead, hoping to keep her facial expressions neutral; though she had never found that particular body notable on any other person, she found her eyes tracing the lines that moved as Waverly spoke.

“You always look at me with such astute care and compassion…and…”

The brunette trailed off as she shifted to sit further upright. Nicole’s hands fell into her own lap as the shorter woman pulled her legs back, tucking them underneath her.

Nicole only missed the shorter woman’s contact briefly, as Waverly reached for the redhead’s lap, grasping one of her hands.

“And sometimes you look at me like…I’m so much more than a friend.” 

Nicole’s stomach lurched, as she forced her eyes to meet Waverly’s.

Though she expected to see anger, betrayal, and disgust reflected in the blue eyes staring back at her, instead Waverly’s eyes were wide, warm, a little nervous, but mostly they were filled with… _hope?_

The officer shifted, turning to face the brunette and tucking one of her legs underneath her as she moved. Waverly tightened her hold on her hand as the redhead stirred as if the shorter woman was worried Nicole would pull it back.

“I’m sorry, Waves. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable, I—”

“I don’t.”

The brunette’s quick interjection puzzled Nicole, and she tilted her head to the side. 

“You don’t…feel uncomfortable?”

Waverly shook her head, an adorable smile pulling at the corner of the brunette’s lips.

The officer felt her own lips mirror in response, as her heart raced. She gently ran her thumb over the back of Waverly’s hand.

“Then how do you feel?”

Nicole peered into steady blue-dominated hazel eyes, as Waverly deeply inhaled.

Options:

  1. Waverly answers with a kiss
  2. Waverly answers with words
  3. Waverly panics



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Comment with the number of your choice by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, May 16.~~
> 
>  
> 
> In an effort to be a better part of this amazing fandom, I’m on twitter now at @[dubiousorange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17). I can’t promise I’ll post a lot there, but come find me and we can talk whiskey, beer, dogs, sports, or y’know, Earp-related things.
> 
> Update: I really didn't need to ask, did I? Option #1 it is.


	11. Chapter 11

With a deep inhale, Waverly took in Nicole’s soft brown eyes and the half smile that played across the redhead’s lips, the smallest hint of a dimple visible.

The words she had fretted over all day felt woefully inadequate to fully capture how this incredible woman had captivated her from their first meeting.

As her heart raced, Waverly leaned in, drawing confidence from the gentle caress of the redhead’s calloused thumb across the back of her hand.

Nicole’s smile faded and brown eyes widened as the brunette tipped closer. Bringing her free hand to grasp the redhead’s jaw, Waverly felt her eyes slip closed.

Their noses bumped at first, before each woman tilted their head, as if they had done this a million times before, to allow the first brush of lips.

As Waverly’s lips moved against slightly chapped ones, a jolt coursed through the shorter woman. It only amplified when one of the redhead’s hands covered her own, lightly holding it in place as if the taller woman was afraid it would slide away.

After a few moments, she felt Nicole smile into the kiss; the shorter woman's own lips automatically tugging up in response.

As the redhead pulled back, Waverly felt a thumb run across the knuckles of her hand, still caressing Nicole’s face. The brunette opened her eyes to see soft brown eyes fixated on her.

“So, how do you feel?” Nicole grinned, dimples on full display. “I wouldn’t want to assume.”

“Like I regret waiting so long to do that,” Waverly beamed before leaning in to capture the officer’s smiling lips again.

\--

Slightly dazed, Waverly was unsure how much time had passed before Nicole pulled back again; this time only far enough to rest her forehead on the brunette’s.

The pair had shifted, Waverly’s head resting on the armrest of the sofa with the officer’s warm weight above her. One of the brunette’s hands gently wrapped around the back of Nicole’s neck.

Waverly studied Nicole’s face: her still closed eyes, the small scar on her cheekbone, and the goofy, dimpled smile that shined so brightly it seemed it would never fade.

“I’m dreamin’ right now…”

“What?” Waverly questioned, allowing her fingers to brush through the soft hair at the base of Nicole’s neck.

“I probably passed out after my long shift. I’ll wake up cuddling with Calamity Jane and find this was all a dream.”

The brunette shifted her fingers to gently pinch the back of Nicole’s neck.

Brown eyes shot open as Waverly beamed, “It’s all real.”

\--

Waverly yawned as she slowly woke up to a warm touch drawing idle patterns across her arm.

The sun had fully risen before the pair made their way, hand-in-hand, to Nicole’s bed. Once again, they had stubbornly faced off for possession of the couch, each wanting the other to take the bed. Eventually, Waverly tugged the officer up the stairs, knowing they would both benefit from the fantastic black-out curtains in Nicole’s bedroom. And, um, the cuddly sleep.

Though her eyes remained closed and her brain still sluggish as sleep faded, she registered that she had fallen asleep on her side again, this time tucked into Nicole’s front.

With a smile spreading across her face, the brunette opened her eyes to see her own elation mirrored in Nicole’s features.

“Good morning beautiful.”

“I was going to say the same thing,” Waverly teased, shifting closer to place a quick peck on the officer’s lips.

As she pulled away, her eyes averted to the sliver of sheets between them, trepidation growing in her stomach.

“Waves?”

“Do you wish this was a dream?”

A warm, calloused finger hooked under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet wide brown eyes.

“No,” the redhead reassured, conviction clear in her tone and painted across her face. “I’ve _never_ been happier to have a pretty girl kiss me.”

A nervous giggle escaped Waverly’s lips as she lightly pushed on the officer’s shoulder, “Yeah, right.”

Nicole lifted her head from her pillow, brown eyes darting dramatically from side-to-side as she whispered, “Can I tell you a secret?”

The brunette nodded, confusion sinking in as she felt her eyebrows pull together.

“I’d take _your_ kisses over anyone else’s any day.”

Waverly fought a yawn as she teasingly pushed the redhead’s shoulder again, “How are you such a smooth talker first thing in the morning?”

“Technically, it’s afternoon. And being fully rested helps.”

“What time is it?” Waverly asked, knowing the darkness of the room was deceiving.

The redhead twisted to look at the alarm clock across the room on the dresser; Waverly followed her eyesight to read it for herself as Nicole responded.

“A little after 2.”

Waverly groaned, “Can we just stay in bed the rest of the day?”

“No complaints here,” Nicole replied, brushing a strand of hair off Waverly’s forehead.

\--

A little over an hour later, Waverly crossed the threshold to the homestead. She had reluctantly left Nicole’s house, knowing she needed fresh clothes after utilizing the spare set she kept in her Jeep.

After toeing off her shoes, Waverly spied her sister sitting at the kitchen table; Wynonna's crossed arms resting on the table and functioning as a pillow.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” the younger Earp called, eyeing the half-full bottle of whiskey near Wynonna’s elbow.

“Dolls was more of a buzzkill than usual, so I bailed...where have you been? You said you were staying in town?” her sister asked, a blue eye peeking open.

Waverly’s stomach twisted. The brunette had sent her sister a few cryptic texts, so Wynonna didn’t worry while she was staying with Nicole. She fiddled with the long sleeves of the officer’s hoodie as she weighed her words.

“And since when are you a Blue Jays fan?”

“I’m not…” Waverly trailed off, eyes down. “…Nicole is.”

The sharp clink of glass on wood pulled her gaze upward, to see Wynonna sitting upright and the stoppered whiskey bottle on its side with liquid sloshing from side-to-side.

“No shit,” Wynonna replied, eyebrows raised. “You’ve been staying with her?”

Waverly strode closer, picking up the bottle before she sat down. She pulled the stopper and took a small swig before launching into the whole story, from after Shorty’s wake to leaving Nicole’s that afternoon. As she spoke, the grin on her sister’s face grew.

“I think I should revoke that drink I owe Haught-stuff.”

“Why?”

Wynonna took a long pull from the bottle, “For making out with my baby sister.”

Waverly laughed and gently slapped her sister’s arm before taking the bottle for herself, “Get used to it.”

“So, you’re together now?” Wynonna asked.

“Well…we didn’t exactly talk about it…but…that’s what I want. Oh god, what if she doesn’t? What if—”

“Easy baby girl,” her sister interjected, stealing the bottle back. “I’ve got eyes, Haught’s head-over-heels for you.”

Pursing her lips as she shifted to them to side, Waverly replied, “You think so?”

Her older sister rolled her eyes as she took a long swig from the bottle.

Waverly allowed a small smile to spread across her lips as she plucked the bottle from her sister’s grasp, setting it on the far side of the table, before pulling her sister into a hug.

“Seriously, baby girl, it’s good to see you happy.”

\--

Near midnight, Waverly was in her bed, curled into a ball for warmth and unable to shake a slight chill despite the blankets piled on her bed. She had spent the last half hour twisting and turning as she tried to fall asleep.

With a sigh, the brunette conceded defeat, and she sat up, back resting against the headboard. In her dark bedroom, she fumbled for her phone and typed out a message.

Waverly [11:52 p.m.]: I can’t sleep :(

She was surprised to see three dots appear, in spite of the time of night.

Nicole [11:52 p.m.]: Me neither. I guess this is what we get for sleeping until mid-afternoon.

The brunette grinned as she typed.

Waverly [11:53 p.m.]: I wouldn’t change a thing :)  
Waverly [11:53 p.m.]: But it’s definitely going to be hard to sleep without your warmth

They texted back-and-forth into the early hours of the morning. Around 4 a.m., Nicole’s responses became less immediate and, when a full 20 minutes passed without a response, Waverly assumed the redhead finally fell asleep.

After placing her phone on the nightstand, the brunette laid back down, resting her head on the pillow. She twisted until she found a comfortable position and closed her eyes.

As Waverly started counting her breaths, hoping it would help her drift off to sleep, her phone buzzed. Waverly reached for the device without moving from her prone position. She quickly unlocked it, turning her head toward the illuminated screen.

Nicole [4:58 a.m.]: Look outside

Waverly blinked hurriedly, sure the blinding light was playing tricks on her tired mind.

She re-read the message again, and again, sure she was missing something when her phone buzzed again.

Nicole [5:01 a.m.]: Seriously

That one word spurred Waverly to action. She hurriedly tossed the covers aside, the cold air shocking her arms and shoulders. Grabbing Nicole’s hoodie off a chair, she tugged it over her head on her way to the bedroom window.

She pulled the curtains aside to see Nicole, illuminated in the porch lights. The redhead, dressed in jeans and a gray fleece quarter-zip, leaned against the side of her Jeep Wagoneer, an ear-to-ear grin visible through the darkness.

Waverly turned quickly, leaving her bedroom and rushing down the stairs, not bothering to keep the noise to a minimum knowing Wynonna could sleep through a tornado at this time of morning.

She quickly slid her feet into random shoes just inside the door, and hurried outside, onto the porch.

“What are you doing here?” she called to the redhead, grinning as Nicole strode toward the house.

“We both couldn’t sleep, so I figured we should make the most of it.”

“And just what did you have in mind?” Waverly asked, standing at the edge of the porch with her arms wrapped around herself for warmth.

“Checkin’ out that sunrise spot you told me all about,” Nicole grinned, coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. “I’ve got blankets, coffee, tea, and fresh donuts.”

Waverly wrapped her arms around the deputy’s shoulders, the gap in height from the porch to the ground perfect for her to gaze levelly into Nicole’s eyes.

“You’ve thought of everything,” Waverly breathed, leaning in for a brief kiss.

“I didn’t want to give you an excuse to say no.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where are your options?! I’m turning the keys over to you guys. 
> 
> I have a rough idea for their “sunrise date,” but what do you want to see? Both for that and moving forward? Do you have questions you want answered? 
> 
> The most frequent themes/ideas will work their way into the story…maybe not immediately but I promise will be incorporated down the road. 
> 
> Comment by 11pm Coordinated Universal Time, on Wednesday, May 23. 
> 
> And, finally, come find me on twitter @[dubiousorange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17) to see dog pictures and what I might be drinking as I write.


	12. Chapter 12

Nicole sighed as Waverly’s lips met hers for the second time that morning. It was hard to believe that a day ago, she had only dreamt of all of this; her imagination though couldn't hold a candle to the reality.

A mere twenty-four hours before, she hadn’t yet known the softness of Waverly’s lips, as they moved against her own. She didn't have the faintest clue that her own hands molded around the brunette’s hips as if they were created for that sole purpose. And she certainly didn’t know how Waverly’s lips would cause warmth to reverberate down to her toes.

Reluctantly, Nicole pulled back, catching her breath, “If we keep doin’ that, we’ll miss the sunrise.”

“Would that be the worst thing in the world?”

“No,” Nicole laughed.

After a gentle peck, Waverly stepped back, “Give me five minutes.”

\--

A half-hour later, the tailgate of the Jeep was down, the pair seated side-by-side in the cargo area as they faced east. Nicole rested against the back of the rear seats, with Waverly leaning into her side and the cream-colored wool blanket spread across them, to ward off the pre-dawn chill.

Nicole slowly sipped her coffee, eyes towards the horizon as she awaited the first glimpse of light. She had already offered Waverly the box of donuts, but the shorter woman wanted to hold off and wait to enjoy them as the sun started to illuminate the world.

“Uncle Curtis used to bring me here.”

A tendon in the officer’s neck strained at the quick twist of her head to shift her gaze toward Waverly. The brunette looked steadily toward the horizon, eyes blinking rapidly.

Nicole swallowed thickly, trying to find an appropriate response. One word managed to tumble from her lips, “Yeah?”

Waverly nodded, “W—when I first moved in with Gus and Curtis, I had a lot of trouble sleeping. On the worst nights, when I had nightmares and was too scared to sleep, Uncle Curtis would bring me here. He always had a mug of coffee, and he would make me hot chocolate…”

Nicole watched as a small smile tugged at the corners of the brunette’s lips.

“…and I would fall asleep once the sun fully rose. It became our tradition. Even through high school, every time I couldn’t sleep because I was nervous or scared, Uncle Curtis would bring me here.”

Pulling Waverly closer, the redhead placed a gentle kiss to the top of the brunette’s head.

“And Shorty brought me here the morning after Uncle Curtis passed away,” the shorter woman whispered.

“Waverly, I’m so sorry.”

Nicole felt a smaller hand grasp her own as watery, hazel eyes shifted to lock on her own, “I’m glad I have someone else to share this place with.”

\--

The women fell into comfortable silence until the first rays of light broke through the expanse of darkness in front of them. It was only then that Waverly finally dug into the donut box, selecting one with pink frosting and yellow sprinkles.

Nicole munched on her own chocolate cake donut, only one bite left when Waverly broke the silence.

“So, I kissed you…”

“You did,” Nicole confirmed with a nod and a smile. “And I kissed you.”

The redhead popped the last bite of her donut into her mouth and watched as Waverly fiddled with the cup of tea in her hands before setting it to the side.

“I really, really don’t know what to do next. I’ve never done…” the brunette trailed off to frantically gesture between the two of them, “…this…before. Do I—”

Nicole could practically feel the nervous energy radiating from the brunette as she twisted awkwardly to interject with a gentle kiss.

Pivoting to face the brunette better, the officer lifted her hand to cradle the shorter woman’s jaw, her opposite arm pulling Waverly closer. She felt a hand tangle in her own hair, and Nicole continued, slowly moving her lips against the brunette’s until she noticed the shorter woman’s tension slip away.

Nicole smiled as she pulled back, her hand shifting to tuck a strand of brunette hair behind Waverly’s ear.

“It’s okay. I know this is all new for you and—”

The officer stopped abruptly, noting the stiffness that returned to Waverly’s body as she spoke.

Nicole shifted, returning to her spot resting against the seat. She held out her arm, offering Waverly to snuggle into her side. For a moment, the deputy was unsure how to proceed and uncertain what she could say to alleviate the anxiety, and possible panic, she knew was coursing through the brunette.

As her eyes lingered on the lowered tailgate of the Jeep, her mind wandered to the hours she spent repairing the motor that allowed the back window to go up and down. 

It was a moment where she swore a literal light bulb flickered on above her head as she asked, “I told you my grandpa and I restored this Jeep, right?”

The brunette nodded emphatically as she scooted over and tucked herself into the taller woman’s side.

With a deep breath, Nicole’s gaze lifted to the ceiling of her Jeep, “I think I mentioned it took months for us to get her up and runnin’…he was a great mechanic, so it never should have taken us that long. Not with the issues it had and the time we put in, but he deliberately moved slow.”

The officer shifted her eyes down to the smaller woman to see swirling hazel peering back up at her; brunette eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Why?”

“He said he wanted me to learn how everything worked, so I could take care of it myself and fix the issues that would inevitably come up…but I think he had another motive too…” she trailed off, pulling her arm from Waverly’s shoulders to rub the back of her neck.

It took the brunette stilling her nervous movement by pulling Nicole’s hand into her lap, running her thumb across the officer’s knuckles for Nicole to continue.

“…I was always a bit of an impatient, restless kid,” the redhead admitted, sheepishly, eyes shifting to the horizon. “I’d try to barrel through things if they didn’t go right the first time…and you definitely can’t do that with an old car. Restoring one requires attention to detail and a whole lotta patience…a couple times, he mentioned how many life lessons there are in working on a car.”

Her eyes filled with tears as she braced herself to vocalize, for the first time, a suspicion that had grown in recent years. One she would never be able to confirm. Waverly’s hand squeezed her own, and she swallowed the lump forming her throat.

“He never said it, but I think he wanted to show me that some things in life, really the best things, are worth the wait.”

Nicole fought to keep the tears at bay, biting her lip and feeling her face contort with the effort. It was futile, as hot tears slid down her face.

“Sorry,” she sighed, pulling her hand from Waverly’s to hurriedly wipe the tears from her face.

“Let me.”

The brunette’s fingers closed around her wrist, pulling her hand back.

“It’s okay,” Waverly soothed, using her thumb to gently wipe tears from just below her eyes. “Let it go.”

“But I had more to say,” Nicole huffed.

A small smile tugged at Waverly’s lips, “Go on.”

Nicole took a deep breath, leaning into Waverly’s lingering touch, “We don’t need to rush, and I _definitely_ don’t want to jump into anything before you’re ready.”

“You don’t mind taking things slow?”

“Not one bit.”

Nicole watched as the shorter woman bit her bottom lip; the redhead could almost see the gears in Waverly’s mind racing.

“What if there’s…something…I don’t want to wait for?” Waverly asked, drawing out her question, hand quivering as it lingered on Nicole’s cheek.

“All you need to do is tell me. I’m all yours, Waves,” the redhead reassured as her heart raced, watching the adorable, shy grin that grew across Waverly’s face.

“Sooo, it’d be okay if I asked you to be my girlfriend?”

“Absolutely,” Nicole beamed; she couldn’t help it, and she knew her dimples were likely on full display from the brunette’s question.

Waverly’s hand shifted, wrapping around her neck to pull them closer until their lips met again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I’m going through a bit of a life-funk, so I’m taking a hiatus from writing. I plan on coming back to this story (though I really have no idea when that will be) so I wanted to leave you guys on a nice fluffy note with an important loose end tied up. 
> 
> BUT, seriously, I cannot thank you guys enough for following along to this point. The comments, kudos, everything have absolutely floored me; it’s 110% insane to me that people want to read anything I put up here and I appreciate you all for sticking along. 
> 
> Come find me on twitter [@dubiousorange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17). I can promise dog pictures to make up for it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone still out there?! I know it’s been...awhile. Honestly, much longer than I expected. 
> 
> I have approximately a million things to get say, but I’ll save most of it for the end. In the meantime a huge thank you to both [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo) and [Trash_PandaTO](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash_PandaTO/) for their wonderful beta work on this.

Waverly yawned, twisting away from the light burning through her eyelids. She groaned with the movement, rolling from one side to the other, feeling an ache in her hip and neck.

As she fidgeted, trying to find a comfortable position, she rolled her head back-and-forth across her pillow, puzzled by its firmer than normal nature, only to turn back in the direction of the light. Pulling her blanket closer, the brunette inhaled deeply, breathing in vanilla with a hint of coffee. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she breathed in the scents she had so quickly come to associate with…

“Nicole,” she murmured, burrowing deeper into her pillow, brow furrowing when it failed to yield.

“Hmm?”

Waverly’s eyes snapped open at the response, but she groaned as she closed them again, blinded by the bright morning sun.

“Fudge nuggets,” she mumbled sleepily, lifting a hand to block the light as she recoiled once again.

Hearing soft laughter above her, she cautiously opened one eye and peeked between splayed fingers.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Nicole smirked.

Disoriented, Waverly turned her head, opening both eyes, to take in the long, jean-clad legs she had been using as a pillow. She grinned again as her sleepy brain caught up, piecing together that she must have fallen asleep on the redhead.

“Good morning...you could’ve woken me up,” Waverly yawned, twisting to stretch out her back.

“You did warn me that you always fell asleep here,” Nicole shrugged, with a grin. “Plus you’re kinda cute when you sleep.”

Waverly rolled to lay on her back, looking up at the redhead, appreciating the way Nicole seemed to glow in the morning sun. She reached up, gently grasping Nicole’s chin, running her thumb along her jaw.

“You’re not a bad sight to wake up to,” Waverly smirked. “I might be able to get used to it.”

The redhead leaned into her touch with a sigh, before turning her neck to peck Waverly’s thumb.

\--

They lingered in Nicole’s Jeep, trading lazy kisses as they snuggled beneath the blanket. It was nearly noon before the Wagoneer returned to the homestead.

Waverly smiled when Nicole met her at the passenger door, their fingers quickly linking once again as if the few seconds they were apart while they exited the car was longer than either of them could stand.

“I was thinking....” Nicole trailed off, as they walked to the front door.

“Hmm?” Waverly hummed, as she hopped up the few steps to the porch.

As she turned to face Nicole just in front of the door and redhead took each of her hands, her mind couldn’t help but wander back to the last time she stood here, in this same spot, after their trip to the city.

“I was thinking…” Nicole paused, biting her lip before she spoke again, “...typically, in my experience, people go on dates before they decide they want to be together....”

“Yes…” the brunette confirmed, unsure where this was headed.

Nicole tilted her head to the side, “I guess what I’m trying to say is, can I take you on a real first date? One night this week, maybe?”

“But you did.”

“I did?”

“The city,” Waverly replied automatically. “Though I suppose you could include the times at the coffee shop too.”

Nicole’s brow scrunched in confusion, “I don’t think those counted? I mean, you called it a ‘mock date’ yourself. And you were still with Champ the first time we got coffee.”

“They counted to me,” Waverly murmured, mostly to herself, lost in the recollection of  how nervous she’d been on each occasion and the giddiness she felt when she finally saw Nicole each time.  

Waverly looked up at Nicole and knew the redhead heard her comment from the crestfallen look on her face.

“Nicole, I...I don’t know if they felt real in that way to you, but they did to me. The trip to the city, in spite of what we called it, and even the first time we got coffee…” Waverly trailed off, biting her lip.

Her eyes drifted to the worn boards below just before Nicole spoke up.

“You said you had me to thank for breaking up with Champ...what did you mean by that?”

Waverly kept her gaze fixed downward as she nervously squeezed Nicole’s hands, “Do you remember that night at the coffee shop, when Champ called about the bonfire and you said he seemed like he really wanted to spend time with me?”

Nicole squeezed her hands back, before running her thumbs across the back of Waverly’s knuckles, “I remember.”

“‘Seemed’ might have been the keyword,” Waverly laughed hollowly, lifting her gaze to meet Nicole’s puzzled brown eyes. “But I knew if I went, he wouldn’t even notice I was there...just like all the times before. I don’t know why, but hearing someone else articulate how it came across and knowing that didn’t match the reality...was when I knew it was time..”

The brunette paused, inhaling deeply, head tilting down again, “And it hurt so badly that night when I thought you didn’t want to spend time with me either.”

“Oh, Waves.”

Waverly felt a soft finger hook under her chin and gently tilt her head until her eyes met Nicole’s again.

“I meant it then when I said that was the best night I had in Purgatory,” Nicole asserted, her hand dropping back between them as she grinned. “Though it has some competition now.”

Waverly beamed before pursing her lips to the side, “Maybe it’s better if our first date was the second time at the coffee shop, or the city.”

Nicole started to protest, but Waverly held up a hand, effectively cutting off the deputy.

“You put so much thought and care into our trip to the city...and all I wanted to do was kiss you at the end of the night. So, did it feel like a real date to you too?”

The redhead nodded slowly, “But—”

Waverly interjected, a grin quickly spreading across her face, “How about this? _I_ take you on a…date.”

Though she had started out bold in her question, her voice shook on the last word. She bit her bottom lip in nervousness.

Her unease dissipated when she saw wide brown eyes drift to her lips. Waverly smiled and ducked to make eye contact with Nicole.

“What do you say, officer?” she prompted.

“I would like that,” Nicole beamed, reaching out to connect both of their hands once again.

The elation that coursed through Waverly forced her weight to her toes as she smiled too. She couldn’t contain the small bounce of excitement as her mind raced through possibilities.

She twisted toward the door, “Let me check my planner and—”

Waverly tried to pull her one hand from Nicole, but the redhead squeezed it before she could slip away.

“Hold on, just a minute?”

The brunette nodded and watched as her girlfriend licked her lips.

“You wanted to kiss me? Here. When we got back from the city?”

Waverly nodded, smiling at the smug grin she received in response, “I should have.”

She closed her eyes and her mind flooded with the feelings from that night: the weight of Nicole’s blazer draped over her shoulders and the warm hands in her own shielding her from the chill of the night.

“Waverly…”

Her eyes snapped open at the serious note in her girlfriend’s voice, but she was met with soft, caring brown eyes gazing back at her.

“...I wanted to kiss you too,” Nicole breathed, swinging their hands between them.

Waverly shifted, hearing the boards beneath her feet creak at the movement, she leaned up as she had so desperately wanted to the last time she and Nicole stood here.

Nicole ducked her head, meeting her midway to gently press their lips together in a brief kiss.

Waverly sighed when her girlfriend pulled back too soon, untangling one hand to wrap around Nicole’s neck, preventing her from drifting too far away.

“I had a wonderful time,” she whispered, a devious smile working its way onto her lips. “And we should do this again soon.”

\--

Some brief schedule coordination and a few less chaste kisses later, Waverly sighed as Nicole pulled away from her.

“Saturday?”

Waverly nodded, “I’ll pick you up...but hopefully I’ll see you at the station before then.”

“I hope so too.”

After one more kiss and watching Nicole drive away, Waverly crossed the threshold of the homestead, feet carrying her toward the dining room table. Her tired body plopped into one of the chairs as she reached for her bag, pulling her planner and a pen out. With a wide grin still spread across her face, she flipped it open, excited to record her date night with Nicole, even though she didn’t have the faintest idea what to plan for Nicole, before she crawled back to bed.

She slid her finger down the date’s column, freezing when she realized something was already written in that particular time slot.

“Fudge nuggets.”

\--

 

Date Options:

  1. Cooking class
  2. Hiking
  3. Mini golf
  4. Skydiving



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really not sure that I’m going to be able to jump right back into the crazy pace I kept with this in the spring so here’s the plan: I’ll take votes for the next week and then write the next chapter. ~~So comment with your choice by Oct. 3.~~
> 
> In a more crazy update, I’m also still kind of mindblown that [Earp Fiction Addiction Podcast](https://twitter.com/EFA_Podcast) had me on their podcast a few weeks ago to talk about this fic. You can check it out [here](http://efapodcast.com/choose-your-own-adventure). I mentioned on there that I think this fic only probably has a handful of chapters left in it. I could be wrong, which is why I’m not throwing a number out there (see my other recently updated thing as a prime example of me putting my foot in my mouth in terms of chapters). BUT, when this thing wraps up, just maybe, we can start over with a new adventure. I’m open to ideas/suggestions...and I feel like the finale on Friday might give us some absolutely crazy shit to run wild with. 
> 
> Finally, if you’re still here, reading this, after the time that has passed, I cannot thank you enough. This community is absolutely amazing and it’s such an honor to be a small of it. If you want to come find me on twitter, I’m [@dubiousorange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17).
> 
> Update: mini golf it is!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you to [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo) for always awesome beta-ing. This chapter is so much better thanks to her help.

The click of shoes echoing through the quiet station pulled Nicole’s focus from the report she was finishing.

She looked up in time to see Waverly round the corner and stride past the front desk into the bullpen, a fourth cup of coffee in her carrier instead of the usual three for Wynonna, Nicole, and herself. Nicole’s eyes narrowed at the stiffness and lack of energy in Waverly’s movements. 

In the two days that had passed since she had last seen Waverly, the only communication she had with her new girlfriend was a handful of texts. Even in that little interaction, Nicole could tell something was...off?

But Waverly had mentioned finding something her Uncle Curtis had left her. Maybe that was it?

Nicole shook her head, pushing the thought aside as she beamed, “This is a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on coming into the station but I’m meeting Chrissy.”

“I haven’t seen her come through, but I can keep you company while you wait,” Nicole offered, moving a pile of paperwork to the side to make room for the drinks.  

Waverly placed the carrier down and, before Nicole could pull a chair closer, hopped onto the desk. She grabbed one of the to-go cups and handed it to Nicole, with a small smile.

“Thank you,” Nicole replied, allowing their fingers to brush when she grabbed the cup.

She lifted the beverage to her lips only to lower it as she further inventoried Waverly’s nervous state, her eyes lingering on her girlfriend’s tense shoulders.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Waverly shrugged, her fidgety fingers struggling to remove her own drink from the carrier.

“You sure?”

Waverly nodded, finally freeing her cup.

But Nicole noted the worry swirling in dulled hazel eyes, still averted. She reached out, resting her hand on her girlfriend’s knee.

“I’m excited for Saturday.”

Waverly’s head finally lifted, bottom lip worrying between her teeth,  “Um, about that—“

“Waves!”

Waverly turned quickly toward the entry, nearly knocking a pile of folders off Nicole’s desk, as Chrissy hurried closer.

“I’ve missed you!” Chrissy beamed, pulling Waverly into a tight one-armed hug before taking a step back. “I can not _wait_ for Saturday night! So, what were you thinking for Steph’s engagement party?”

Nicole stiffened, looking up from steadying the paperwork on her desk, while Chrissy rambled on, asking if Waverly was _sure_ she wanted to have them all over to the homestead. Her eyes met Waverly’s as hazel eyes drifted guiltily from her to Chrissy before dropping to her hands, still fidgeting with her coffee cup.

“That’s actually what I, um, wanted to talk about. I—”

“Hey Chrissy,” Nicole interjected, “Your dad mentioned he wanted you to stop by his office when you got here.”

“Oh! Okay, thanks Nicole! I’ll be right back, Waves.”

With a final squeeze, Chrissy turned away.  

Nicole craned her neck, waiting for the click of the sheriff’s office door before she chanced a glance at Waverly. Her stomach twisted, not at the lie she told Chrissy, but at Waverly’s still downcast eyes and her tucked-inward shoulders.

She gently pried the coffee cup from Waverly’s grip and set it aside, before reaching for one of her hands and standing. Waverly’s eyes finally met her own again, and Nicole nodded toward the door next to her desk. Once Waverly hopped down, she led them toward to the break room. Waverly’s hand shook in her own, and she ran her thumb along the brunette’s knuckles as she pulled them inside, firmly closing the door behind them.

Before Nicole could twist the lock, to ensure they weren’t interrupted, Waverly broke the silence.

“I’m so, _so_ sorry, Nicole. I _completely_ forgot about the engagement party. But I can try and change the date. I should’ve—”

Nicole leaned forward and cut her off with a gentle kiss. As adorable as her girlfriend’s rambling was, Nicole didn’t want her to feel nervous for another moment.

When she pulled away, she grabbed Waverly’s other hand, easily entwining their fingers.

“You don’t have to apologize, Waves. These things happen. It’s okay,” Nicole soothed.

“But Chrissy and I could probably change the date, I mean—”

Nicole cut her off with a gentle squeeze before repeating, “It's okay. We can do something another day.”

“Are you sure?” Waverly asked, biting her lip.

“ _O_ _f course._ ”

“You’re not mad at me?”

At that, Nicole’s brow furrowed and her head tilted to the side, “Why would I be mad?”

Waverly took a deep breath, gaze falling to the floor, “Because...because I’m canceling something with you to spend time with my...friends.”

The way Waverly paused and how her tone changed around that last word transported Nicole back to their first trip to the coffee shop and an unfortunate interruption by an even more unfortunate boy-man.

Her heart clenched as she unclasped one of their connected hands to reach beneath Waverly’s chin. It only took that small gesture for hazel eyes to lift, meeting her own.

“Of course, I would love to spend time with you but, Waverly, you’re allowed to have friends,” the deputy assured, hoping the sincerity in her tone would help to chase away whatever lingering doubts Waverly held, in spite of uttering those words herself a few weeks ago,  “And I hope I get to meet them someday.”

A shy grin tugged at Waverly’s lips, “In that case—”

Both of their heads turned toward the door at the sound of a crash on the other side.

An exasperated sigh reached Nicole’s ears before she felt her girlfriend lean into her.

She turned back toward Waverly, her nose scrunched up adorably, “Do you think we could just ignore...whatever that was?”

Nicole chuckled, “I wish,” before placing a quick kiss to Waverly’s lips and reaching for the doorknob.

\--

Nicole absentmindedly rubbed at the aching tendon between her shoulder and neck, hoping to alleviate the pressure that had built over the past hour, when a knock pulled her gaze from her computer.

“Saturday night,” Wynonna called from the doorway, “I’m the town pariah with ten years of bad deeds and social suicides to make up for, what’s your excuse?”

Nicole fought a grimace as she eyed the bottle of whiskey in Wynonna’s hand, pointed at her, “Nedley.”

Her stomach twisted at the lie as she turned back to her desk, putting back together the files in front of her.

Nicole had waited patiently to see if an invite to the party had been what Waverly intended to offer before they had been interrupted in the break room earlier that week. When one didn’t come and Lonnie called out sick, she volunteered to work that night hoping it would take her mind off of Waverly.

“Say no more. Bosses are the worst,” Wynonna replied, twisting the cap off her whiskey. “Also I’m scared mine might be dead.”

Nicole froze, turning back toward the doorway. Her mind raced as she tried to remember the last time she saw the enigmatic man who seemed to live in the spaces he had commandeered for his own offices. But she hadn’t seen Dolls yet that evening and that was certainly...odd.

“Oh, kidding,” Wynonna frowned, before lifting the bottle to her lips.

Sensing there was more to that, Nicole asked gently, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” Wynonna hummed through her mouthful of whiskey.

But the clearing of her throat and thumbs up that followed didn’t sit well with Nicole as she nodded absentmindedly, wondering why Wynonna was wandering the station, alone, on a Saturday night.

“Well, at least I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t invited to the party. Makes me feel better.”

But it really didn’t, as her stomach twisted. If Waverly wanted her friends to know they were together, she would’ve invited her.

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed as she pushed off the door and stepped closer to her desk, “What party?”

“Oh, um, Waverly didn’t...tell you…?”

When Wynonna shook her head, Nicole slumped in her chair and mumbled, “Shit.”

Wynonna plopped on the floor behind her desk and patted the spot next to her before she took another long pull of whiskey.

“What do you know, Red?” Wynonna glared, offering the bottle to Nicole.

\--

It took some coaxing from Wynonna and two swallows of whiskey before Nicole admitted what was happening at the homestead that evening. Wynonna quickly changed from puzzled and unsure why Waverly didn’t tell her to revealing all the dirt she knew on the possible attendees. Nicole wasn’t sure if it was intended to make her feel better about not being there, but the gossip was helping. Or at least the whiskey was.

“You know, one time, Stephanie told me that I should think about getting a butt lift.”

“What?! Your ass is like…,” she trailed off, lifting a hand as she struggled to find the words to appropriately describe the butt in question. “...it’s top shelf, man, it’s top shelf.”

And she knew she should’ve felt embarrassed to have so thoroughly complimented her girlfriend’s sister’s ass. However, with a liquor-fueled warmth in her empty stomach, she had no shame...and she _was_ human. A gay human.

“Thanks,” Wynonna sighed, turning away. “So Nedley wouldn’t let you off for the party?”

“Oh, um, I wasn’t invited.”

Wynonna’s attention snapped back to her, but Nicole looked away.

As she lifted the whiskey to her lips, for the first time that night, Nicole allowed her mind to wander through the possibilities of what she and Waverly would be doing if they were together at that very minute.

If she had been invited, she would be probably be drinking some sugary, sweet drink or wine with Waverly at her hip instead of feeling the burn from whiskey rolling down the back of her throat as she sat on the cold, hard station floor. And if she and Waverly could have had their date...she wasn’t sure what Waverly would have planned for them, but she knew, whatever it was and wherever they were, she wouldn’t have this hollow, almost melancholy feeling that had lingered beneath her skin all day.

“Marital troubles with you and Waves, already?”

Nicole coughed and sputtered, leaning forward in the process. The bit of whiskey that hadn’t fully rolled down the back of her throat ascended, burning and causing her eyes to water.

And with that, she had an answer to the question she had wondered since she settled on the floor next to Wynonna. The older Earp  _did_ know about her and Waverly.

Wynonna took the bottle back and thumped her back, “Easy there, if you want to make a good impression then don’t waste alcohol. Especially whiskey.”

Still sputtering, Nicole turned toward the Earp. Wynonna’s eyebrows raised as she lifted the bottle to her lips.

“Not a fan of marriage, Haughtstuff? I would’ve taken you for the picket fence in Purgatory type of girl.”

“It’s not that I’m not a fan,” Nicole coughed, grabbing the bottle from Wynonna’s hands, taking a small swallow. She grimaced as the whiskey hit her raw throat.

“But…?” Wynonna prompted, eyes narrowing.

“But I’m, _technically_ , married.”

Wynonna plucked the bottle from her hands, scowl growing, “ _Technically?_ You either are or you aren’t. So which is it, Red?”

Nicole swallowed, “I...am... _but_ we’re not... _together_...anymore. We’re separated and we have been for a while.”

“And Waverly’s okay with all this?”

Nicole took a deep breath, her eyes falling.

“She doesn’t know?”

Nicole could only shake her head.

A hum from Wynonna was what finally pulled her attention back to the Earp.

“I can see why it didn’t work out.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nicole snapped.

“Easy there, Haughthead,” Wynonna smirked, offering the bottle to Nicole. “Honesty is supposed to be the foundation of a healthy relationship or some shit, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Nicole admitted, taking a swig of whiskey. “And honesty is why we’re not together anymore.”

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”

Nicole sighed, sitting the bottle between them and rubbing her forehead, “It was easy to pretend that us, together, worked. Because we did...just not as a couple. It was almost like we were roommates and we’re better off as friends.”

“You need to tell Waves about all this. And soon.”  

“I know,” Nicole groaned. “Believe me, Wynonna, I know.”

“I wasn’t expecting a jab to get so serious,” Wynonna mumbled, as she turned to face Nicole’s desk, lifting the bottle to her lips.

Nicole chuckled uneasily, “Me neither.”

Her stomach twisted as her mind raced through possible reactions Waverly might have to that news...that was if Wynonna didn’t beat her to delivering it. Her lips opened, hesitant words on the tip of her tongue but Wynonna beat her to breaking the silence.

She hadn’t noticed Wynonna moving toward her desk, but she must have if the photo in her hand, from the missing person case Nicole had been working on, was any indication.

“Who’s this?”

\--

Nicole was fuming. And worried.

And anxious.

Though the latter feeling hadn’t quite dissipated since her trip to the morgue with Wynonna that included a mysterious trespasser into the cooler, and returning to a body that definitely didn’t have its eyes open _or_ a playing card in its mouth initially.

She huffed, tapping her jittery fingers on the steering wheel as she pushed the gas pedal lower. The engine of her cruiser whined in protest, as if even it knew she was taking the curves on the frosty road with more speed than she should have.

Though what happened in the morgue had been confusing...and not at all creepy or unsettling...she could push that aside in her mind to rationalize later, once the alcohol and two mugs of station sludge coffee worked their way through her system.

Instead, her mind was fixated on her conversation with Wynonna in the breakroom. She had been  _s_ _o close_ in so many ways. So close to establishing a positive relationship with the most significant person in Waverly’s life. So close to  _finally_ getting some answers to explain the pervasive weirdness that was Purgatory.

But no, apparently, not only was whatever was at the heart of it was _too complex for rookie flatfoots_ , but Wynonna had the nerve to accuse her of being the source of all the...creepiness...in the morgue.

She shuddered as she pushed the pedal even lower.

Yet, somehow, that wasn’t even the worst part of it. The idea of Wynonna immediately _assuming_ her interest in Waverly wasn’t with the best intentions made her blood boil.

Her stomach twisted a guiltily as her own rash response echoed in her ears. She had only dug herself a bigger hole in earning Wynonna’s approval of her and Waverly, and now Wynonna had even more incentive to reveal the secret she had been keeping from Waverly.

She had been working up the nerve to apologize, pacing down the hallway outside of the Black Badge office, but Wynonna had sprinted out of the station without a second glance in her direction.

Nicole worried away time at the station, poring over Joyce Arbour’s file and forcing down coffee to distract her mind, both from the mental image of the body in the morgue with its open eyes, and imagining every possible reaction Waverly could have to her marriage. Her mind reeled until Wynonna called in, directly to her extension, saying she needed an officer at the homestead. As if Wynonna knew the first question that formed on her lips, one that was not at all a part of standard protocol, she immediately assured Nicole that Waverly was alright.

As the sun started to peek across the horizon, she finally passed beneath the gate to the homestead, holding her breath at what she might find.

\-- 

As Nicole wrapped up her interview with Chrissy, Wynonna strode across the porch and toward the cruiser.

“Your sister okay?”

Though she thought she knew the answer to that question, it set her on edge that she hadn’t actually seen Waverly since arriving at the homestead. Only Wynonna, Chrissy, and Henry. Oh and some dead bodies.

But the knot in her chest loosened when Waverly, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, finally stepped out onto the porch.

“Yeah, well, she’s being Waverly.”

Nicole’s eyes darted to Wynonna’s fidgeting hands, twisting her cell phone around as if she would have tossed the device against a wall long ago if she didn’t _desperately_ need whatever call or text she was expecting.

When her gaze lifted, she found Wynonna’s lips pursed and narrowed blue eyes staring unblinkingly back at her.

“You want to check for yourself?” Wynonna hesitated, looking away before turning back to face her. “She, um, might be happy to see you.”

It took all of Nicole’s self-restraint to not immediately run to the porch and cradle her girlfriend’s face in her hands. The urge was quickly tamed as she wondered, from Wynonna’s ever cryptic nature, if the older Earp might have revealed anything to her sister already and what sort of welcome she might receive if that were the case.

But she was on duty and still had responsibilities, here as an officer, to interview Wynonna. And if the look Wynonna was giving her was any indication, maybe she hadn’t blown her shot at understanding what really happened in Purgatory.

\--

Options:

  1. Check on Waverly
  2. Interrogate Wynonna



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, mini golf is coming...eventually. ~~Comment with your choice by Wednesday, Oct. 31.~~
> 
> Come find me on twitter [@dubiousorange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17).
> 
> Update: Checking on Waverly coming up next!


	15. Chapter 15

Waverly pulled her blanket tighter around her as she stepped out onto the porch, the brisk morning air biting her skin, cutting through the thin material of her dress. She ushered Chrissy into the warmth before pulling the door closed behind her. Her eyes found Nicole, standing by her cruiser with Wynonna.

As much as she didn’t want Nicole dragged into all that had happened here last night, her body seemed to sag in relief at the sight of her girlfriend.

With a small nod at Wynonna and a few words that didn’t carry to Waverly’s ears, Nicole strode to the porch. Waverly’s stomach twisted as the deputy’s brown eyes, wide with worry, found her own.

Waverly watched as her girlfriend’s vision lowered, raking across her form, the tenseness in her shoulders diminishing with each step she took, until she hopped up the one step and onto the porch.

As they stood across from one another, Nicole’s mouth opened but no words came out. Shaking her head, she reached for Waverly’s right hand, closed her eyes and tried again, only to come up silent once more. 

“I’m okay,” Waverly murmured, running her thumb along her a knuckle on her girlfriend's slightly shaking hand. 

With a wavering exhale, Nicole nodded, relief washing over her tired face before she smiled, “You’re sure?”

Before Waverly could reply, Nicole reached for her other hand, locking their fingers. 

Pain shot through her wrist at the movement, and she hissed, pulling her hand back and unconsciously wrenching the other from Nicole’s grasp, using it to cradle her injured wrist. 

Nicole’s eyebrows shot up, her lips fell into a frown, and her hands still hovered in front of her.

“Sorry,” Waverly grimaced, “I guess you wouldn’t believe me if I still said I’m okay…”

Nicole shook her head slowly, frown deepening as her eyes lingered on Waverly’s injury. 

“It’s okay, it’s nothing serious. I just...fell…” 

The half truth felt her thick on her tongue, her mouth drying rapidly, but she didn’t know the simplest way to explain what really happened but still assure Nicole that she really was okay.

Her girlfriend’s eyes narrowed as they lifted.

“I’ll...explain better...later,” Waverly nodded, reaching out to reconnect their hands. 

Nicole seemed to understand, running her fingers over the back of Waverly’s hand and nodding slowly before she reluctantly turned, looking over her shoulder in the direction of her cruiser. Waverly followed her sight to Wynonna, looking blankly at the screen of her phone. 

Nicole twisted back, eyes heavy with concern, “I need to interview your sister still. Are you sure you’re okay?” 

Waverly nodded, giving Nicole's hand a quick squeeze, “Promise.”

The small smile she got in return didn’t quite meet Nicole’s eyes as she stepped back but didn’t break their contact, “Let me talk to Wynonna and then I should make sure Chrissy gets back to town before the sheriff comes out here himself.”

“Don’t you have to interview me?” Waverly asked, wanting a few more moments with Nicole.

With a reluctant sigh, Nicole’s eyes averted, “I should probably let someone else...now that we’re…” 

“Oh.” 

“Do you mind coming to the station with me after we’re done here? I can have one of the guys speak with you?” Her eyes glanced down at Waverly’s wrist, “And I’d feel a lot better if we could get that checked out.” 

Nicole seemed unable to look away from Waverly’s injury. Waverly couldn’t help but wonder if her girlfriend’s mind was reeling, rushing through all the scenarios where this could’ve been...worse.

“Okay,” Waverly agreed.

Nicole dropped her hand and took one more step backwards.

Instead of turning, Nicole closed the distance between them quickly, her arms wrapping around Waverly and pulling her tightly into her body.

Waverly sighed as she freed her arms from the blanket and wrapped them around Nicole’s back and her eyes slipped closed. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet vanilla scent that always lingered on the deputy. The comforting smell chased away her lingering tension from last night.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Waverly murmured into Nicole’s chest, the cold that lingered on the exterior of Nicole’s coat warming around their collective body heat.

“Me too,” Nicole sighed, before pulling back again. “I wish I could’ve helped.”

\--

The sun had fully risen by the time they left the homestead, Waverly warming her hands in front of the vents of Chrissy’s little blue hatchback with Nicole and Wynonna following in the cruiser. 

“So, you and Nicole, huh?”

Waverly looked over at Chrissy, eyeing the guilty grin on her friend’s face as she turned the car down the road to the right. 

“What do you mean?” she replied, the waver in her voice negating her nonchalant tone.

Chrissy’s eyes shifted from the road to her, rolling in the process, “I saw you two on the porch.” 

“So?”

“So I don’t hug friends like that, Waves.” 

Waverly hummed non-committedly, fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket.

“Fine,” Chrissy sighed. “I’ll get it out of Nicole.” 

Her friends eyes drifted to the rear view mirror, brow furrowing.

“Where did they go?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Chrissy pulled her car to the side of the road, “They’re not behind us.”

Waverly twisted in her seat to see the empty road behind her.

“They were there when we turned, I saw them,” Chrissy added.

“Oh, I think I see them,” Waverly replied, seeing Nicole’s cruiser in the distance. Her brow furrowed, “Why are they going so slow?”

Waverly twisted from her seat at the cruiser inched closer, fear washing over her. Something was clearly wrong.

She was out of the car, eyeing the ajar doors, long before the cruiser came to a stop, 10 yards behind Chrissy’s stopped car. 

Her lungs froze when she saw the vacant front seats.

“Nicole! Wynonna!” 

She rushed to the driver’s side, stomach churning at the blood coated interior. Her eyes locked on the clipboard next to the driver’s seat, unable to pull her vision away from the bloody hand print across it, too big to be Wynonna’s.

“Nicole…” 

\--

Waverly hurried down the hallway to Nicole’s room as fast as her tired legs would carry her.

It was her second trip to the hospital, the first was earlier with Doc and Dolls after Nicole had been found. But after going back to the office to pull together all she knew on the tunnels where she was certain Wynonna was being held, she raced back to the hospital.

As she approached the open door, a muffled sob carried into the hallway from Nicole’s room. Her stomach twisted as she crossed the threshold.

“Waverly,” Nicole gasped, frantically wiping her face as best she could with her bandaged hands.

Waverly’s heart broke at the sight, and she continued forward to the side of Nicole’s bed, to wipe away the fallen tears herself. 

“Is there an update on Wynonna?” Nicole asked, sitting up and failing to hide a gasp of pain, eyes alert and wide with worry.

Waverly could only shake her head, biting her lip as the fear that had receded to a simmer while she was moving, intent on returning to Nicole’s side, returned to a rolling boil.

“I’m _so_ sorry,” Nicole asserted, echoing her words from earlier. The deputy’s eyes filled with tears once again as she eased back against her bed. “Waverly, I never would have stopped if—”

Waverly shook her head, willing back tears of her own, “It’s not your fault Nicole. Not at all, okay?”

Her girlfriend didn’t seem convinced, brown eyes drifting away as her lips pursed and she shrugged.

Waverly wiped away the tracks left on Nicole’s face before she fidgeted with the corner of the blanket on Nicole’s bed.

“Can I call someone for you?” Waverly asked cautiously. “Do your parents know you’re here?”

The last question seemed to pull Nicole from her haze as she visibly shuddered, her eyes lifting.

“Oh, um, I don’t...talk to them,” she stuttered. “But Nedley already called my emergency contact. Thank you though.”

Waverly couldn’t help but notice that the smile on Nicole’s face was forced but, after all that happened today, how couldn’t it be?

And it all caught up to Waverly, keeping her emotions as at bay as she could all day.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she choked, tears escaping before she leaned awkwardly over the rails of the bed to bury her face in Nicole’s shoulder.

Her sling caught and she huffed impatiently, fighting the fabric and trying to shuffle closer.

Nicole chuckled, gently maneuvering the sling away from the bars before she gingerly slid closer to the edge of the bed. Waverly reeled her in, pulling her closer until her free arm wrapped around Nicole’s side, careful not to put pressure on her chest.

They stayed like that until Waverly’s tears subsided.When Waverly finally pulled back, Nicole’s hands gingerly found their way to her sling.

“What happened?” she asked, softly. 

Waverly turned, quickly peering toward the open doorway.

It wasn’t smart to talk freely here; she could picture the stern look Dolls’ would throw her way if he knew she was so much as thinking about it. But Nicole deserved answers. Not just about Waverly’s wrist but about who they thought flagged down the cruiser on the highway.

Biting her lip as she turned back, Waverly asked, “Did the doctor say how long you have to stay?”

“At least overnight,” Nicole grimaced as she fidgeted beneath the blanket. “Maybe another day or two.”

Waverly sensed her girlfriend wasn’t exactly pleased with that timeline, so she reached out, finally taking Nicole’s hand in her own, careful of the rough bandage wrapped around it.

“I’ll stay here as long as you want...” Waverly murmured, running her fingers carefully along the skin she could reach. “...and then once you’re out of here, we can...talk.”

Nicole nodded, seeming to reluctantly accept that fact before she stopped abruptly, frowning as she fought off a yawn.

“I need to talk to you too.”

The hesitant note to Nicole’s voice added to the nerves swirling in Waverly’s stomach. But she nodded, before she leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss to Nicole’s cheek.

“Get some rest, okay? I’ll be here when you wake up.”

\-- 

The abrupt shut-off of running water pulled Waverly from her spiraling thoughts. She fidgeted from her spot on Nicole’s couch, Calamity Jane tucked into her side, purring contently. 

It had been less than an hour since Nicole was released from the hospital. Waverly drove her home, a packed duffel bag in the backseat of her Jeep making her intentions of tending to her girlfriend perfectly clear.

While Nicole disappeared upstairs to shower, Waverly settled onto the couch next to the cat.

After Wynonna was safe and her worried energy for her sister dissipated into relief, Waverly allowed herself to think through how she would tell Nicole about the curse. She had even asked Wynonna for advice but her sister simply handed her a bottle of whiskey and suggested she didn’t start by showing off her web of research.

She had tucked the bottle in her bag. Just in case.

Nicole slowly stepped down the stairs, damp hair pulled back and out of her face, wearing soft shorts and a zip-up hoodie. Waverly stood, quickly closing the distance between the couch and the bottom of the stairs at the grimace of pain on her girlfriend’s face, the deputy’s hand tightly gripping the banister.

Nicole waved her off with a huff as she carefully lowered herself the last two steps, “I’m okay.”

Waverly worried her bottom lip before wrapping an arm around Nicole’s waist, careful to avoid the still tender area where Nicole was kicked, and guided her to the couch.

“You should’ve stayed in bed and rested.”

Nicole sighed as she collapsed on the couch, “But you’re down here.”

“And it would have been _impossible_ for me to make it upstairs.”

Nicole nodded with a grin, shifting to lean against the arm rest, “Exactly.”

Waverly twisted her hands in front of her nervously, “Do you need a drink? Are you hungry? I could make…”

She turned, trailing off toward the kitchen to see what was available but stopped abruptly at a gasp of pain behind her before warm, gentle fingers wrapped around her right wrist. Waverly turned, to see Nicole leaning forward, face contorted as she moved too quickly for her injury. 

Waverly opened her mouth to scold her girlfriend but Nicole shook her head as she dropped her hand.

“Thank you Waves, just some water would be great.”

Waverly nodded, turning to the kitchen.

When she returned, glass in hand, she saw Nicole eyeing her bag at the foot of the stairs. Waverly handed over the water before settling into the couch and breaking the silence.

“I don’t have to stay if you don’t want me to.”

Nicole shook her head quickly, setting the water aside before her eyes met Waverly’s. 

“No, I’m glad you’re here, really glad actually,” Nicole admitted, reaching for Waverly’s hand. With a sigh, she wiped an escaped strand of her hair out of her face, “And I hope you still want to stay after we talk.”

Waverly froze.

In her worry over how to explain the curse to Nicole, she forgot that Nicole admitted needing to share something as well.

Nicole’s grip on her hand loosened, but her thumb moved across Waverly’s fingers.

Waverly looked into the wide, worried brown eyes across from her. Her apprehension pushed aside as she couldn’t help the concern that bubbled to the surface as her focus lingered on her girlfriend’s exhausted features. She tightened her grip on Nicole’s hand.

“Whatever it is, we don’t have to do this today Nicole. You just got released from the hospital and you’re exhausted. You need to _rest_.”

Nicole grimaced as she sat upright, “I’m fine...and I’ll really be able to rest once I know what happened to you.”

Waverly fidgeted before squeezing Nicole’s hand and standing.

“See, to understand that, I have to start with something else…” she trailed off as she turned toward her bag, fumbling with the zipper before she pulled out the whiskey. Waverly turned back to display the bottle and answered Nicole’s puzzled expression, “Wynonna thought you might need this.”

Nicole rolled her eyes and failed to subdue a chuckle, “Of course.”

Waverly plopped back on the couch, pulling the stopper and reached across, extending further than she normally would so Nicole could reach it without having to shift. The deputy took a small sip before offering it back to Waverly. She took a healthy swig of liquid courage before she began.

“What do you know about Wyatt Earp?”

\--

The afternoon sun, peeking in from the windows, shifted across the room as Waverly spoke. The words spilling from her mouth held Nicole’s rapt attention as she explained how Wyatt Earp was cursed, the revenants that walked among them in Purgatory, how a witch visited the homestead the other night and caused her injury.

Nicole followed along intently, asking questions at all the right spots and slowing Waverly down when she started to ramble. Even Wynonna would have been impressed with the large gulp of whiskey the deputy downed after she asked how many revenants remained.

It went better than Waverly could have imagined, even though she spied Nicole subtly pinching herself at the end, as if to make sure it was all real. And it felt too good to be true, the way the deputy asserted that she wanted to help, in any way she could.

When Nicole licked her lips, worry apparent from her face to the way she withdrew from Waverly, giving her space, that bubble burst before Waverly’s eyes.

“I guess it’s my turn,” Nicole stated, eyes drifting to the couch. 

In spite of the heavy uncertainty that materialized between them, Waverly scooted closer, filling the gap Nicole created.

“If you want to,” Waverly reassured. “But it can wait. We don’t have to do...whatever this is...right now.”

“No, you should know…” 

\--

Waverly woke surrounded by warmth and vanilla.

Though she and Nicole had settled beneath the blankets with more space between them, conscious of the deputy’s injuries, they had apparently shifted with Nicole curled around her back. She moved her hand to cover Nicole’s as it rested on her stomach, interlocking their fingers.

Before she could drift back off to sleep, her sleepy mind registered the lack of snoring behind her. 

She gently twisted, releasing her grip on Nicole’s hand as she turned to face her girlfriend, a smile forming on her lips at the open eyes looking back at her.

“You’re awake.”

Nicole nodded, “I’ve been up for a little bit. I couldn’t fall back asleep.”

“You could’ve gotten up,” Waverly yawned.

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Why can’t you sleep? Did the medication wear off?”

Nicole shook her head against her pillow, before reaching out to run her fingers through Waverly’s hair.

“Then what’s wrong?” 

“Are you _sure_ you’re okay with my...marriage and that I’m working on a divorce?”

“Yes,” Waverly asserted. “Are you sure you’re okay with me helping my sister send revenants, literally, to hell?”

Nicole chuckled, her hand coming to rest behind Waverly’s ear, “Yes.”

Waverly scooted closer, “See. No problems and nothing to lose sleep over.” 

Nicole’s eyebrows lifted, “Hmm, there is one problem.”

Waverly’s eyes narrowed, “And that is?”

A dimpled smile spread across Nicole’s face, “I haven’t said good morning yet.”

Waverly opened her mouth to reply but instead was met by Nicole’s soft lips. Waverly smiled into the gentle kiss, scooting closer before Nicole pulled back to peck her nose.

“You still haven’t said it,” Waverly smirked, closing the distance to capture Nicole’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you might have noticed, I’ve updated the chapter total to make this the next to last chapter. I’ve got one last set of choices for a fluffy finale because there were one or two canon elements I thought we might get to see, within this different context, before this wraps up:
> 
> 1\. Include something canon  
> 2\. Go off on own tangent 
> 
> Comment with your choice in 2018 and I'll finish this up in 2019!
> 
> Thank you to my beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo) for reading through two terrible versions of this before I got it, hopefully, right. You can find me on twitter [@dubiousorange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17). 
> 
> Happy holidays everyone!


	16. Chapter 16

Nicole cursed at the sound of tires coming to a stop outside her house, before glancing at the alarm clock in her bedroom.

Of course, Waverly was right on time, and she wasn’t quite ready.

She hastily buttoned up her shirt, checking her appearance in the mirror one last time. She turned out the door and hurried down the stairs, pulling her still slightly damp hair back as neatly as she could.

Nicole made it to the bottom just as a knock echoed through the door. Calamity Jane grumbled in response from her spot, curled up in a sunspot on the couch.

She rolled her eyes at the cat as she strode to the entry, “Sorry to disturb you.”

With a deep breath, she opened the door to reveal Waverly.

“Hi,” Waverly said, a shy smile playing on the corner of her lips as her hands fidgeted in front of her.

“Hi,” Nicole beamed in return. “Do you want to come in or…?”

She trailed off, unsure what Waverly had in mind.

It had been almost a week since Nicole was released from the hospital and it had been their first chance to reschedule Waverly’s offer to take her out. Their plans for the afternoon had been a mystery; Waverly refused to tip her hand in spite of Nicole’s relentless questions.

Waverly bit her lip, “Um, let’s go! If you’re ready?”

Nicole took a step back, hastily grabbing a coat off the rack, “I am now.”

\--

Waverly still wasn’t offering any hints as they drove toward the city. Instead, with a smirk, she shook her head, keeping her lips firmly sealed.

They continued on in comfortable silence, hands linked across the center console, until Waverly navigated the Jeep down a road to the left about twenty minutes later.

Nicole’s brow furrowed as she twisted to take in their surroundings, even more puzzled by where they could be going. She opened her mouth to ask, but Waverly shook her head once again.

“You’ll see.”

Nicole was about to ask how much further they had to go when a warehouse came into view, and Waverly turned the Jeep into the nearly empty parking lot. Nicole’s eyes scanned the unfamiliar building until they caught a small hand-painted sign.

“Indoor mini golf and shooting range,” she read aloud, tilting her head to the side. “Which are we here for?”

“Mini golf. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Nicole replied, squeezing Waverly’s hand before untangling their fingers to unbuckle her seatbelt. “I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

Waverly bounced from her seat, calling over her shoulder, “Not a lot of opportunity to play outside in Purgatory.”

Once inside, they proceeded to the mini golf section. Waverly stubbornly refused to let Nicole pay, going as far as to playfully slap her hand, before selecting a plain white golf ball from a rack next to the cashier.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Nicole teased, grabbing a blue one for herself. “You’ve got to pick one of the ridiculous colors.”

Waverly shook her head, a smirk growing on her face as she scanned the assortment of putters, “Nope. I take this quite seriously.”

“Oh really?” Nicole asked, picking a random club off the rack and spinning it absentmindedly in her free hand.  

Waverly nodded, selecting a putter before grabbing a scorecard and a pencil.

“Care to raise the stakes a little bit? If you’re so confident?” Nicole added with a smirk of her own.

“What did you have in mind?”

Nicole shrugged, “Nothin’ in particular.”

“Hmm, I think I know what I want if I win…”

“And that is?”

Waverly bit her lip nervously, “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Nicole idly spun the ball in her hand, narrowing her eyes, “And why would I agree...not knowing what the terms are?”

A devious smirk played on Waverly’s lips, “I think you’ll enjoy it too, officer.”

“But what if I win?”

“Then...you can pick something for us to do...whatever you want.”

Nicole pretended to ponder those words, fighting a smile, “You’ve got yourself a deal, Miss Earp.”

Waverly grinned, leading the way toward the first hole, tucking the pencil behind her ear and the scorecard into her back pocket. The movement drew Nicole’s vision to her girlfriend’s short skirt. She shook her head as they reached the first patch of green, eyeing the club in Waverly’s hand.

“Wait, hey Waves, isn’t that putter a little...tall for you?”

“Nope,” Waverly answered distractedly with her focus on the hole in front of them as she eyed the obstacles.

After nearly a full minute, the brunette seemed to come to a conclusion on how to attack the hole. With a small nod, Waverly bent over to precisely place her ball on the putting surface, rolling the ball until she was satisfied with its spot.  

“Like the view, officer?”

Nicole blinked, eyes following Waverly’s legs as her girlfriend stood again, addressing the ball. She cleared her throat, embarrassed to have been caught staring.

“Are you going to distract me like that all game?”

“That’s the hope!”

Nicole’s brow furrowed as Waverly tucked the top of the putter against her stomach and held the club just below the end of the grip.

Before Nicole could voice the question that formed on her lips, Waverly smoothly drew back the putter and, with a clink, sent the ball rolling toward the curve in the green. The ball followed the trajectory, taking the perfect line as the surface leveled out, before dropping in the hole.

Waverly jumped with a squeal, lifting her club in celebration.

“Hey! That’s cheating!”

Waverly turned, eyes crinkled from the wide smile on her face, “What’s cheating?”

\--

It continued through three more holes and two more hole-in-ones from Waverly before Nicole read aloud from her phone, “Rule 14-1b prohibits two actions during a stroke: one, directly anchoring the club or a gripping hand against the body and, two, indirectly anchoring the club through the use of an anchor point created by holding a forearm in contact with any part of the body.”  

Waverly only shrugged in response.

“See, it’s officially cheating,” Nicole huffed. “The USGA says it themselves.”

Waverly paused en route to the fourth hole and turned toward Nicole, an amused smile on her face. She fumbled for the scorecard in her back pocket and flipped it to the back page.

“I don’t see anchoring listed on any of the rules that have been provided for us.”

She offered the card to Nicole, and she grumpily accepted it. Waverly continued onward, but Nicole stopped to read. She scanned the rules that included what to do if your ball left the green surface and not swinging your club above your knee. And her eyes rolled at the line regarding not bringing guns or ammunition onto the course.

“Hey!” she called after Waverly, jogging to catch up. “It says there’s a six-stroke maximum and you let me get eight on the last hole!”

\--

Nicole grumbled as she added up their scores, the tip of the pencil poking a hole in the paper as she hastily scribbled a 74 next to Waverly’s 38.

“Who won, baby?” Waverly asked smugly from the driver’s seat as they turned out of the parking lot.

Nicole twisted, flinging the scorecard into the backseat of the Jeep,  “I think you already know.”

Her brow furrowed at the small duffel bag on the floor, but Waverly’s voice pulled her attention back to the driver’s seat,  “I really don’t.”

Turning toward Waverly, Nicole rolled her eyes at the innocent tone in her girlfriend’s voice, but she couldn’t fight the smile that tugged at her lips, “You did.”

Waverly beamed, but her hands twisted and fidgeted on the steering wheel, “So I won our bet too.”  

“You did. What did you have in mind?”

“Oh, um, I thought that maybe, um…” Waverly stammered before shaking her head as her knuckles turned white from her stiff grip on the Jeep’s steering wheel. With a nervous smile, she glanced over at Nicole, “You’ll see.”

\--

Despite Nicole’s best efforts, Waverly’s nerves lingered, heavy in the air of the Jeep as they drove into town, picked up dinner, and then drove back to Nicole’s. But once they were in the warmth of Nicole’s home, digging into their take-out, whatever anxiety that hung over Waverly diminished.

Nicole made her way to the couch after clearing away the containers and trash, and Waverly’s nerves seemed to have rocketed back up in her absence. The brunette’s hands fidgeted in front of her as Nicole lowered onto the cushion aside of Waverly.

Before she could lean back against the backrest, Waverly surged forward closing the little distance between them. The fervor with which Waverly’s lips met her own caught Nicole off guard and the momentum pushed her backward until the back of her head hit the armrest.

Nicole willed her brain to catch up and return in earnest the passion that poured out of Waverly, from her lips to the hand that had found purchase on Nicole’s hip and was shakily sneaking under her shirt.

She gasped against Waverly’s lips at the unexpected touch, goosebumps erupting across her skin. But heat building inside her was quickly doused as the quaver in Waverly’s hand increased as it slid further up her stomach.

Nicole wrapped both of her hands around Waverly’s hips as she pulled back. It took a deep breath and a peck to Waverly’s nose for her to find her voice through the haze that clouded her brain.

“What’s wrong Waves?”

“N—nothing,” Waverly stammered before leaning forward once again.

Nicole turned her head so that Waverly’s lips met her cheek. Waverly’s hand slid out from under her shirt, leaving a chill in its place.

“Was that not okay?” Waverly bit her lip, eyes downcast.

Nicole released her loose grip on one of Waverly’s hips to hook a finger under her chin, gently lifting until their eyes met.

“Of course it was okay,” Nicole soothed. “But you’re shaking.”

Waverly shrugged noncommittally, some strands of brunette hair falling into her face. Nicole brushed them aside, her hand lingering below Waverly’s ear.

“I can hear your brain whirling from here. What’s goin’ on in there?”

Waverly drifted back, forcing Nicole’s hand to drop limply to her side, “Sorry, I—I...I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Sure you do. This is just...us,” Nicole smiled.

Waverly sat up, widening the space between them, a still-shaking hand gripping the back of the sofa. Nicole followed her, using the backrest to pull herself up and offering her hand to her girlfriend. Without hesitation, Waverly took it, tightly interlocking their fingers.

Waverly hummed as she shrugged again, eyes slipping closed as Nicole ran her thumb over her knuckles. With a deep inhale, hazel eyes opened, steadily holding contact with Nicole’s. Though Nicole could still see hesitation swirling in them, it was hidden, buried behind the desire that blazed at the forefront.

Without breaking their eye contact, Waverly freed her hand, lifting it to cradle Nicole’s jaw. As Nicole leaned into the warmth, Waverly surged forward again.

Nicole was quicker to return the passion this time, moving her lips against Waverly’s and parting them at the brush of Waverly’s tongue against her bottom lip. Waverly’s tongue barely flicked inside, a mere tease, before Waverly pulled back.

Nicole lurched forward with her eyes closed, chasing the contact. She forced her eyes open and felt a frown, or maybe closer to a pout, forming as she felt the weight lift from the cushion next to her.

Waverly stood across from her with a shy smirk as she curled a single finger in Nicole’s direction, “Upstairs.”

Nicole scrambled to her feet. With her lips still tingling from where Waverly’s met her own, she was both unable and unwilling to deny Waverly anything. As she stepped into Waverly’s space, the brunette’s hands linked behind her neck, pulling her down for another searing kiss and steering her toward the stairs.

This time when Waverly’s tongue brushed against her lips, she fought her own natural reaction to pull back, just far enough to rest her forehead against her girlfriend’s, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Waverly asserted, punctuating the single word with a kiss to Nicole’s jaw.

With her girlfriend kissing a trail down her neck, Nicole leaned down and lifted Waverly from her feet. She beamed at Waverly’s squeak of surprise, but her girlfriend barely missed a beat, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck and legs around hips as the deputy carried her up the stairs.

At the top of the landing, Waverly’s lips found Nicole’s again. With her attention shifting, her grip on Waverly wobbled. The brunette giggled as she slid down before Nicole could steady her. With an impatient huff, Nicole used the brief reprieve to lift Waverly more securely before turning to push the bedroom door open with her back.

Once they crossed the threshold, Waverly’s lips found her own again, and Nicole fought to remain alert enough to navigate them to the bed. She lowered Waverly gently to sit on the edge, and a disgruntled Calamity Jane hopped from her spot on a pillow to the floor. Waverly giggled again against her lips, as the cat vocalized her displeasure as she slunk out the door.

Nicole stood and Waverly’s hands slid from her neck down her arms, before finding their way to the bottom of her shirt. She leaned over awkwardly, pausing at the uncertainty that lingered as a barely distinguishable hue in Waverly’s eyes. Nicole opened her mouth but was cut off by a resolute look from her girlfriend.

“I’m sure,” Waverly reassured, her fingers sliding to the front of her shirt to pop the buttons open one-by-one. “I want you.”

\--

Content to let Waverly explore as much as she wanted, Nicole remained bent over Waverly as her shirt, bra, and pants made their way to the floor, kissing every inch of Waverly’s skin that she could reach, from her lips to her collarbone.

She gasped as Waverly’s hands slid from her stomach to her chest.

“Is this okay?” Waverly murmured, eyes meeting her own.

Nicole nodded, swallowing heavily, “Can I see you too?”

Waverly looked down at herself, seemingly surprised she was still fully dressed. When her vision lifted, a mischievous smile tugged at her lips. Waverly nodded with a squeeze. Nicole bit her lip, holding back the moan that built in her throat.

But Waverly’s still clothed form drove her forward. Nicole made quick work of undressing Waverly’s upper half before easing her back onto the mattress while Waverly’s hands continued their exploration across her skin.

Nicole climbed onto the mattress, careful to navigate herself and her weight aside of Waverly. Her girlfriend’s hands fumbled for her own and guided them to the top edge of her skirt. After a brief glance at Waverly’s face and a nod, Nicole unclasped the button and eased the small garment down, exposing all of her.

With a swallow, Nicole tore her eyes from Waverly’s now naked form to meet her eyes.

“No underwear?”

Waverly smirked, “I did tell you I’m a planner.”

\--

Nicole eased into consciousness, her sweaty skin sticking to sheets and blankets that surrounded her.

Shifting, she felt Waverly’s smaller form tucked tightly against her. She smiled, recalling Waverly pulling this thick layer of blankets on top of them before they could succumb to sleep.

Nicole slowly ran a hand up and down her girlfriend’s arm, relishing the bare skin beneath her fingertips. Her mind ran wild, recalling running her hands over every inch of Waverly’s skin only a few hours before.

She stilled quickly as she felt Waverly stir. The brunette yawned before turning to face Nicole.

“Good morning,” she murmured, snuggling closer into Nicole. “Do we have to get up yet?”

“No, baby. Go back to sleep.”

Waverly tugged Nicole’s arms tighter around her, “You don’t work today do you?”

“Nope, I’m all yours.”

A sleepy smile tugged at Waverly’s lips.

“Hey Waves?”

Her girlfriend hummed in response.

“What did you to decide for our bet? Since you won...what did you want? Whatever it is, we can do that today.”

Waverly smirked, “I already got what I wanted. But...if you want…I suppose we can do it again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for dropping the ball on this fic and if you’ve stuck around this long, thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve been blown away by the support you all have had for this silly little adventure, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep up with as well in the end. I tried...and tried...and it just wasn’t there. 
> 
> But a special thank you to my beta [@LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/LuckyWantsTo) and [Trash_PandaTO](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash_PandaTO/) for the brilliant suggestion of a belly putter here. And they both put up with A LOT of agonizing over these last few chapters, and I can’t thank them enough for being awesome friends. So go read their top-shelf fics if you’re not/haven’t already. 
> 
> Like it or not, I’m sure this isn't the last you'll see from me. It might not be super soon, but I’ve been putting ideas and stuff on the backburner so I could wrap this up. In the meantime, if you want to find me on Twitter, I’m [@DubiousOrange17](https://twitter.com/dubiousorange17).


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